


kites

by Amanzala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Kuroo, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Bokuaka side, Domestic, Heartbreak, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Kei, Reconciliation, Single Parenting, Swear Words, Work, alpha/ omega dynamics, bit of tears, fashion - Freeform, kei has a child, kei is a designer/ stylist, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:28:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amanzala/pseuds/Amanzala
Summary: Kei is a single parent doing everything within his power to make his son happy. He has just gotten back on his feet and is trying to live a new and happy life when he unexpectedly runs into the one person he does not want to see.Kei is the last person Tetsuro expects to see and is surprised to run into him but he is met with an even bigger surprise





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first work ever, please forgive any errors and/ or inconsistencies. I really hope you enjoy this story and comment on it, I would love to know what you think.  
> This story does not focus on the alpha/ omega dynamics but on relationship and reconciliation. I didn't know how to do the chapter setting, it appears as 1/1 but there are more chapters coming. I hope you have fun reading. Enjoy!

chapter one

He stood beside his car trying to simultaneously pick a call, unlock the car and hold on to his niece, sighing in frustration he decided he would finish his call first before doing anything else. His sister wasn't feeling too well today because of the pregnancy and begged him to help pick Jin up from school since her dad was out of town, not that he minded, he really didn't have much to do nowadays anyway as he mostly worked from home only going to the office every other day. His dad owned Nekoma and son's, a top notch law firm renowned for it's high rate of successful litigations; he and his elder brother were given two separate divisions which specialised in different areas of the law to head. He usually left the affairs of the office in the hands of his dear friend and assistant Keiji who he trusted explicitly, the guy was very dependable and very responsible. 

He was about to put Jin into the car when a happy squeal drew his attention. Following the sound, he turned around to see a little kid held up high in the air by a very tall man, the man put down the happy boy and held his hand as he listened to the boy chatter excitedly.

He watched the duo briefly before focusing on the man.

The man had short blonde hair which appeared to be natural. Although a bit too skinny for his own good, he seemed fit enough and had an attractive physique. He wore slim dark blue jeans which accentuated his long legs, a pair of dark colored loafers and a white dress shirt; the sleeves were folded up to his elbows and the shirt tucked snugly into his jeans. The man wore a watch and bracelet on his left hand, no ring on his finger ( thank goodness ) and glasses although he wasn't sure if they were prescribed or simply for fashion. 

Blonde, nice physique and great dress sense, this man seemed to meet all of his standards but first he needed to see his face. The face topped everything else on his list because come on, it was an important factor.

He watched the man put the kid in the car and for some reason turned to the side, giving him a full view of his face. His heart slammed against his chest and Tetsuro found himself gawking stupidly at the face of the man he thought he'd never see again.

***

Kei listened to Yu chatter about his day at school, not that he understood much of what the two year old was saying but he nodded anyway and made a comment where he felt he was expected to. 

He was a single father and he tried his best to be both a mom and a dad to his son. He didn't want him to feel neglected in any way so he always made sure to pick him up from school even when he was busy, make his meals, play with him, take him out and read him bedtime stories no matter how tired he was. Yu an energetic little boy and everytime Kei looked at him, he was reminded of the man who fathered him, the same man who had__ Kei mentally shook himself, never mind that. The past is in the past, no use going there.

He strapped his son into the car seat and, leaving a number of toys for him to play with, turned to look at the road and found himself staring smack into the eyes of the man he'd just banished from his thoughts. 

He watched with dread as Tetsuro made his way towards him with a little girl holding on to his hand. Kei wanted to just get into his car and drive off, he wanted to escape this approaching nightmare but he seemed glued to the spot.

Kei noticed that the approaching alpha looked different physically, although still as slim as the last time they saw each other, he was a bit more built which suited him perfectly. He wore a fitted black t-shirt which revealed sleeve tattoos on both arms, skinny black jeans and a pair of black vans, his sunglasses tucked into the v of his shirt; the fucker still liked his black, Kei mused. His hair though was still the same, that awful bedhead was cursed to never be tamed, it stuck on in every direction like the spikes on a porcupine. Kei almost sniggered at this comparison. Tetsuro finally reached him and gave him that lazy lopsided grin of his  
" well hello blondie, fancy meeting you here "

***

Kei blinked at the man standing before him. He was taller than him by a few inches but Tetsuro always managed to somehow appear much bigger than him. Tetsuro always wore a smug look and gave off the feeling of not being affected by anything. This used to piss Kei off until he realised it was all a façade, that Tetsuro was a sensitive person who hid his fragility behind cockiness; his eyes always betrayed him, it told the tale Tetsuro so badly wanted to keep from the world. Kei saw uncertainty in those eyes, he saw that their owner was pretty shaken by this meeting and there was also something else there, guilt? Shame? Kei was not sure and he sure as hell did not want to find out 

" hello yourself Tetsuro " he answered in a bored voice.

Tetsuro shifted from one leg to another signalling his distress. The movement kind of reminded Kei of Yu, Yu did something like that when he really needed to pee except his was much more dramatic, probably because he was a child or because of the urgency of the situation or both; he'd just dance continuously on the spot screaming ' peeeeeee ' until someone comes to rescue him. Yu, oh God, he did not want Tetsuro to see the boy, Kei was not ready for that.

" so how's it been? ", Tetsuro asked and without waiting for an answer continued talking. 

" I came to pick up my niece. Saiko, you remember my sister Saiko? Yeah well she's Jin's mom, she's not feeling too well today and her husband is out of town so she asked me to help out ". He knew he was rambling but he was nervous, he was so ashamed of himself. What he did to Kei two years ago was unforgivable and meeting him like this unnerved him.

Kei looked at the girl, his expression softening

" hi, I'm Kei. What's your name? "  
" Jin ", she answered shyly  
" Jin? That's a very pretty name "  
He smiled as the girl blushed slightly, giving him a grin of her own.

He looked up to see Tetsuro watching him with an odd expression on his face before he started, clearly embarrassed at having being caught. He cleared his throat while nervously scratching the back of his neck.

" is that your nephew? "

Kei was about to answer when he heard Yu whine

" daddy? Icecream please? "

Kei looked into the car and was met with his son's pouting face

" alright, we'll leave soon ok? "  
" kay " the boy answered and went back to his toy.

" I'm sorry, but we have to leave now ___"  
The words caught in his throat as he faced the man he was talking to. The blood had drained from Tetsuro's face and he was staring open mouthed at Yu.

***

Tetsuro was speechless, he was stupefied. He had thought the boy was Kei's nephew or maybe a friend's child but not this. He had not looked at the boy's face since he was playing with a stuffed animal and seemed hell bent on ripping it's head off with his teeth. But as he looked at the kid, his heart stopped, he felt like he was staring at a much younger version of himself. The child had his unruly black hair, tanned complexion and looked so much like him, his eyes and physique the only physical trait he'd inherited from Kei. 

How could this have happened? Could it be that in those two years... ? He tried to speak but there was a huge lump in his throat. 

" is he... ? is that... ? Kei please... "

He saw the pained look in Kei's eyes before he answered

" yes "

Just three letters but they shattered his world, who knew a little word held so much power? ' Yes', the word echoed over and over again in his head as he gawked at the child. A soft whimper brought him out of his stupor and he realised he had a death grip on Jin's hand. He released his grip and made a mental note to reward her with her favourite pastry as he offered an apology.

" how did this happen Kei? ", he whispered, " Why didn't you tell me? " 

Tetsuro knew it was an idiotic question and he knew the answer even as he asked: Because he didn't get the chance to stupid!

Kei wordlessly opened his door and was about to step into the car when a hand on his wrist stopped him, he turned and was met with Tetsuro's pleading eyes. He understood what the other man asking but he just couldn't do it right now, he did not have the strength.

" no ", he whispered as he broke the hold, got into the car and drove away.

Tetsuro watched Kei leave without as much as a backward glance. He wanted so much to explain to the younger man what really happened, wanted to tell him the truth about why he did what he did. He wanted to tell him that he wouldn't have walked away if he had known Kei was carrying his child but the stoic expression on the other man's face had said all that Kei didn't. He could only stand back and watch as Kei left, his heart breaking once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I'm back so soon with chapter two. There's not much talk here, basically thoughts and all. Enjoy!

Kei woke up to his alarm and groaning, he quickly turned it off so it didn't disturb Yu. It was Monday and he had alot of things to do starting with getting his son ready for school. 

Kei wondered why the weekend always ended so quickly and why oh why was there a day like Monday?! Really, if Monday was a person, he'd wish black death on him, like maybe a crane would fall on him while he passed a construction site or maybe he'd fall into a deep deep deep deep pit and nobody will find his body til after three years because no one will be searching for him in the first place. Ok except bosses, sadists and goddamned masochists. He wouldn't even have a family, he'd be a total loser.

Enough of that, he chided himself, time to get up and face reality.

He put on his glasses, tiptoed to his son's room and, satisfied the boy was still asleep, went to brew a pot of coffee.

His apartment was quite spacious due to the nature of his job and the fact that he wanted Yu to have a place to comfortably play. The apartment was on the 21st floor of a 30 storey building, it had three bedrooms, each having a separate bath, a spacious parlor over looking the park, a kitchen, an entryway, a small room meant to be used as a storage space but which Kei turned into a playroom for Yu, another room he made into his studio and library was connected to Yu's playroom, that way he could keep an eye on the boy as he worked.

Two hours later, Yu sat at the kitchen table, awaiting his breakfast and generally holding a conversation with the arms of his high chair.

Kei busied himself with the pancakes as his thoughts once more strayed to his unexpected meeting with Tetsuro the previous Friday. Meeting Tetsuro was not at all on his to-do list for the next century or so, so why did fate do such a thing to him? Hell, he didn't even believe in fate in the first place so why should she stick her nose in his business? After he left the school premises, he was so rattled that he'd stopped at a beauty parlor instead of the icecream shop, he'd almost left without paying and then he had tried to open some car that was not his, to say it's owner was pissed is putting it mildly.

He really didn't know what to do, he had thought of calling his big brother Akiteru but thought it best to wait. Akiteru would flip and worry too much, he had always been overprotective of Kei. 

The smell assailed his nostrils before he realised what was happening  
" shit ", he muttered as he looked down at the blackened smiling face in the pan  
" great "

***

Tetsuro walked into the Nekoma complex with a scowl on his face which was unusual as he always had a smile plastered on his face. Today was a bad day and those who ran into him sensed it; he did not answer any good mornings and spared no one a glance. 

Getting into the elevator, he pressed the number for the highest floor and tapped a foot impatiently as he ascended.

He was confused and very sad. He could not sleep a minute without those two faces popping up in his dream, he had bags under his eyes due to lack of sleep and he knew he looked terrible. 

His morning jogs were not at all enjoyable and he felt no satisfaction working out. He thought he knew why Kei left the city two years ago but Friday showed him he was dead wrong. If only he knew then what he knows now.

The ding of the elevator broke his thoughts and he was greeted by Keiji as he stepped in. Keiji was his backbone in the firm and now that he thought of it, he and Kei had a few similarities: they were both cool headed, logical, smart, calm and hardly excitable. Kei, his heart dropped as he thought of him again. Dear God, what do I do about this situation? He didn't know how to get Kei to talk to him, he didn't even know how to contact him.

He never knew he'd be a dad at 25, because it was a universal rule that you didn't have kids at this age. You were supposed to have fun until you turned 30 then you chose a mate to start a family with. But as he'd laid eyes on the boy three days ago, something inside of him shifted and he felt a protective side of him, a side he never truly knew, come out. Instinctively, he understood what it truly meant to be an alpha, just like his dad constantly told him and his brother. He wanted to protect his son and give him the world if he asked. He didn't know if he was cut out to be a father, but for the boy he was wiling to try. He had a son and he didn't even know his name.

He could only imagine what kei went through having a child alone, how he must have felt. Unlike him, Kei wasn't born into money and had to work to live a comfortable life and from what he saw last Friday, Kei was doing a fine job of making their son happy. He blinked, their son. He and Kei had a son and they would have been a happy family if he hadn't fucked it all up. He groaned and sank deeper into his chair, he would do anything to make it right again.

Keiji noticed a difference in Tetsuro, he seemed reserved and withdrawn since the previous Friday which was unlike him since one did not use words of those nature to describe him.

" Tetsuro, would you like to look at the Watanabe files? "

He got no reply so he sat opposite his friend and repeatedly poked his arm until he was acknowledged. 

" hmm? "  
" what's bothering you Tetsuro? You haven't been yourself since last Friday "  
" how? "  
" you weren't paying attention to the game on Friday, plus you left earlier than usual. You bailed out of our plans Saturday and didn't come over for lunch Sunday "

Trust Keiji to notice little stuffs like that.

" just tired is all, needed to rest up "  
" rest? " Keiji rose an eyebrow " you hardly even come to the office "  
" well I've got a life outside this building, yeah? " he practically yelled. Shit, this was not fair, he was transferring his frustrations on Keiji who was just trying to look out for him.

" Kotaro was pretty worried ". Keiji was referring to his boyfriend and one of Tetsuro's best friends.

" I'll call him. And Keiji? " he said, stopping the retreating man. " I'm sorry, shouldn't pour my frustrations out on you "

" we'll talk about that " the other man replied as he flung a large folder in front of Tetsuro   
" the Watanabe files ", he said before walking away.

Tetsuro stifled a groan.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 3. Thank you for your comments and kudos so far, much appreciated.  
> Happy reading.

Kei sat staring at the screen of his laptop although he wasn't seeing anything, his mind was far far away, a jumbled up mess he had no idea how to sort through. 

 

He knew that the probability of him running into Tetsuro was not an impossible one, he knew that moving to Tokyo was a huge risk on his part but he'd had no choice. The time came for the ' chanced ' meeting but he wasn't brave enough to stand there and face Tetsuro, he had run away like a coward.

 

He focused on the sheet before him and began to sketch. Kei worked with House of Ukai, a top fashion establishment of international standards, renown for their ability to beat your imaginations and expectations in all things fashion. It was established by a Mr. Ukai who passed it on to his grandson Keishin upon his retirement. Keishin was an attractive, strict, supportive, no nonsense alpha who did not take laxity lightly. Keishin was an open minded man who did not care about the standard corporate outfit for work, he preferred street style and his employees happily obliged. House of Ukai also specialised in designing a proper wardrobe for clients, fashion photography and videos.

 

Kei was one of the youngest designers/ stylists working there and felt blessed to have been considered for the job. After he left Tokyo those two years ago, he had been totally broken down but after giving birth and with encouragement from his mom he started to work as a free lancer but work was slow and didn't pay as much as he expected so he emailed an application to House of Ukai; he had always wanted to work with them but felt he was not talented enough. About a week later he received an email from them asking him to come for an interview with some of his works. He left Yu with his parents and went to Tokyo, he was interviewed by Keishin and another week passed before he got an email telling him he got the job and was expected to resume in two weeks since he had to move from another part of the country.

 

So once again he left his son with his parents, took the train to Tokyo and stayed with his best friend Tadashi until he found a place. A little over a week later they had settled in the apartment and he had enrolled Yu in school. Kei did not like the apartment, it was not big enough; they only stayed four months before before moving to their current apartment. Kei payed for a full year, although completing the payment two months after they moved in.

 

The first time Kei went to work, he was welcomed by Keishin and was told all that was expected of him before he asked his assistant, Kiyoko, to show him to his workspace. She gave him a brief tour of the places they passed and introduced him to some people. 

 

They passed the studio, change room and storage. In one of the rooms on the floor below, he met the photographers: Ryunosuke ( shaved head. Just call me Ryu ), Yu ( who was excited to find out Kei's son was his namesake ), Shoyo ( he reminded Kei of the sun with his orange hair ), Tobio ( nasty glare, lover of milk), Taketora ( Mr dyed mohawk ) and Terushima ( Mr undercut, pierced tongue and occasional model ), they were referred to as the guys in room 40; they were overly excitable, overly energetic and, Kei later found out, overly good with their jobs.

 

The floor below was strictly work area, here all designs were brought to life. He met Daichi ( whose intimidating presence screamed alpha ), Koshi, Chikara ( who everyone for some reason preferred to call Ennoshita ) and Narita. These guys specialised in making shoes, bags and belts.

 

Another floor down, he was shown a kitchen large enough to hold a conference in, he was introduced to Hitoka ( cute blonde who apologised for everything ), Asahi ( big shy guy who was probably scarred of his own shadow ) and Hisashi. They were with the accounts section except for Hitoka who was with advertising. 

 

On that same floor, he was shown his office which was to share with three others even though it could hold an additionally three. Kei was grateful for the space, he was a very private person who valued his personal space. Tetsuro used to complain so much that he was difficult to get to know.

 

Tetsuro, his heart dropped as he realised his thoughts had drifted towards him again.

He'd fallen in love with the handsome heartbreaker somewhere within the eight short months their affair lasted. Kei was 21 and rounding up college when they met at a supermarket, at first he didn't want anything to do with the dark haired man who seemed to be stalking him but after five weeks of persistence, Kei gave in. They had drinks and hung out occasionally, Tetsuro was 23 and working in his dad's firm having just finished his law school; his dad wanted him to head a division but needed to be sure his son was capable of being in charge so Tetsuro was basically in his trial stage.

 

After three months of 'hanging out', Tetsuro asked him out and he had said yes to the chagrin of his best friend who was friends with a friend of someone who knew another guy that was Tetsuro's friend and had been told that Tetsuro was never interested in a relationship, he was only in for the fun and when he got bored he'd dump him. Kei told him not to sweat it, it wasn't like he was in love with the guy or anything.

 

Their relationship progressed, they'd had sex, Tetsuro had taken him home for thanksgiving dinner with his family and once when Kei went to Miyagi for his holiday, Tetsuro had visited him and met his family. He realised he had fallen in love and began to think the other man felt the same way after all you don't meet each other's family if it was all a lie, right?

 

It wasn't until he was about to write his final exams that he learned the bitter truth.

 

He would never forget how small he felt. He had left with his tail tucked between his legs. He had wept his eyes out when no one was looking, but that experience had made him wiser and had given him a thicker skin. He wrote his final exams and graduated with a good result; he still wasn't sure what to do about his current predicament but he knew his daily would take care of it. And take care of it they did.

 

They had taken the news in stride, although Akiteru was willing to spill sone blood, and did everything to make him comfortable. When he went into labour, they were all there never once leaving his side, they were a constant source of support and when he was told he had a boy, he named him Yu after his paternal grandfather which made his dad ecstatic. He had tried to pick himself up and get his life moving from its standstill, he had started to think it was going to be alright but now this had happened.

 

What should he do? Should he leave Tokyo? What if Tetsuro tried to take Yu away from him? Kei's heart sank at the last thought, the logical part of his brain said it couldn't happen but he was scared nonetheless after all Tetsuro did have the money, power and influence.

 

" keeiiiii! "

 

He was snapped out of his reverie by Shoyo's scream. Geez, wasn't there a limit to this guy's energy?

 

" what? " he asked rather harshly but the smaller man was unperturbed.

 

" the models from Aoba Jousai are here, gotta get a move on ".

 

Kei sighed. He had forgotten that they were expecting the models from Aoba jousai modelling agency today for the fitting. They were using his designs for a new ad, therefore he had to be in charge of styling.

 

" fine " he replied, already getting up.

 

" oh and Toru's been asking of you " Shoyo said with a smirk, referring to the tall handsome model who had made it a point of duty to hit on Kei every time they met. Kei groaned.

 

" why the hell did they send him again? "

" well apparently Kyotani isn't done with the sports campaign so they subbed him for Toru ".

" I swear, one day day I'll club his pretty face in "

" or we could do it for you "

" isn't that sweet? "  
The sarcasm seemed lost on Shoyo

 

" we're your pals, we've totally got your back "

" we're colleagues not pals "

" we're pals, deny it all you want but we are. You're the grumpy pal, now hurry up and get in here grumpy"

" yeah yeah whatever "

 

Kei took a deep breath, stepped into the studio and....

 

" Kei! I've been looking all over for you, it's been so long... "

" not long enough ", Kei muttered

 

" ... and i was so excited to hear you were the designer, I'm going to model kei's designs again! Its like fate is on my side ".

 

Kei took a step away from the gushing man and began to walk the other way as the others sniggered.

 

" you look good as always Kei, so blonde, so handsome and so well dressed. You always look fabulous Kei, you should be a model. Kei you and I have to... "

And Kei zoned him out. So much for a quiet day at his desk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Thank you for your comments so far. So this chapter is super long, it's way longer than I expected. I'm sorry about that, have fun reading

" bro! Hey man, what's up with you? Did I do something wrong? I mean if it's about your shirt I am so sorry, ok? It just happened, I didn't even know how and ___"

" whoa, relax bro. The hell are you talking about? What shirt? "

" oh I just thought... Nothing. So what's up? Something happen? "

It was Wednesday and Tetsuro had decided to call his best friend Kotaro since he had unintentionally ignored him all weekend, Monday and Tuesday. He'd spent the two weekdays trying to see if he would run into Kei at school again. He had volunteered to pick Jin up even though his sister or her husband could do so. He wasn't at all lucky.

 

When he woke up this morning, he decided to call Kotaro so they could hang out with Keiji and kenma, his other best friend, since it was a public holiday. That, and also the fact that he needed to get Kei off his mind.

 

" got any plans today? "

" nah. Keiji and I will probably sleep in or he'll do some work from work or something "

" how about we check out that new mall? Heard its something, they've got a whole fucking floor dedicated to video games. How sick is that? "

" holy shit dude I am so in. I'll tell Keiji"

He heard a muffled ' tell Keiji what? ' and heard Kotaro repeat the good news excitedly.

" he said he's coming ", then a muffled ' I did not ' before Kotaro proceeded to whine in that way he always does when he wants something from his boyfriend. He could be annoying, but Tetsuro loved him all the same. He waited patiently as they bickered, he was used to this and found it pretty amusing

" ok, now he said he'll come " Kotaro reported happily

" right. Pick you up 12? "

" 12 it is, see ya. Keiji you're the best boyfriend ever... "

Tetsuro sighed and ended the call, Kotaro had forgotten to end the cal before returning to what he was doing, as usual.

***

Kei thanked the gods of holidays that they had claimed today as one their own, God he needed rest. He'd had a busy week so far with the models from Aoba Jousai and boy did Toru exhaust him to no end; he was glad to be rid of them.

 

He wanted to make good use of today with his son as Keishin had called a meeting early Tuesday morning to inform them of the Tokyo fashion week scheduled to take place 9 weeks from now, it was going to be a very stressful, exhausting and time consuming 9 weeks.

He was brought out of his mulling by a sound at the door, he turned to see his son standing in his overalls, yawning and scratching his eyes. 

Yu got out of bed himself before going about looking for Kei and only cried when he couldn't find him or anyone else. Kei remembered one morning he'd had to rush to the store two blocks down to get Yu's favourite bread spread, he had forgotten it got finished a few days back and thought he'd be back before Yu woke up. When he got back, he'd seen Yu sitting on the kitchen floor wailing his eyes out.

 

" hey buddy "

He walked towards his son and the boy lifted his arms, that was Kei's signal to carry him.

" sleep well? "

Yu mumbled something Kei didn't quite get, Kei chuckled as he went into Yu's bathroom to brush his teeth.

" say ahhh "

The boy obliged and by the time they were done, seemed to have woken up properly

" goo morning daddy"

" it's nice to know you've finally seen me, at least I know I didn't become a ghost sometime last night " Kei replied with a laugh, Yu took his index finger as they walked to the kitchen

 

" did you dream of daddy? "

" uh uh " Yu replied with a grin

" grandma? "

" uh uh " the grin got wider

" grandpa? "

" no " Yu shook his head with much wider grin

" the Easter bunny? "

" no! " Yu said laughing as Kei picked him up and put him on his high chair

" ok I give up, tell me "

This set Yu off and he began to chatter about a big 'phant ( elephant) and a giant fushoom ( mushroom ) and a green pig with lello ( yellow ) legs and a flying 'waffe ( giraffe ) as Kei made them sandwiches.

 

*** 

" oohhh man, look at this place! Dude I could move in here "

Kotaro was like a little child in Disneyland, he and Tetsuro were ooohhhhing and aaahhhing at everything while Keiji and kenma followed quietly behind. Keiji looked at his boyfriend and wondered who would ever think this hooting man was an engineer. Kotaro and kenma worked with Date Tech, an industry ranked as the largest in Japan and one of the largest worldwide in the world of technology; Date Tech has been described as a ' digital empire ' and a ' formidable fortress ', they were that good.

 

" hey Kenma! Isn't that the game I saw you and Futakuchi working on? " Kotaro asked, pointing at a game some kids were playing 

" hmmm " Kenma mumbled his affirmation  
" its just a test run though "

" ohh mannn, it looks awesome "

Kenma mumbled something that sounded like a thanks 

Tetsuro beamed at his childhood friend like a proud father would. When kenma told him he had gotten a job at Date Tech to work in their games department, he was elated. He knew his friend would be alright, kenma interacted well with games than with people; Tetsuro had a feeling that if Kenma had to choose between saving the world and saving video games, his friend would choose the latter.

" kenma you made that? That's awesome man, I knew you'll do great things. I'm proud of you "

" gee thanks dad " he replied without looking up

" I should come see you work sometime "

" Tetsuro you say that everytime "

" only this time I will. Its just that that place is so technological "

" don't you mean technologic? " Kotaro asked as they took a seat by the window in the restaurant section

Tetsuro thought about this briefly

" I dunno dude, but its so full of technology. It irks me out, ok? That, and the fact that Aone scares me, that dude never speaks and never smiles. Plus he's got no eyebrows, who could live without eyebrows? "

" some people's world does not revolve around plucked eyebrows Tetsuro" kenma said, taking a seat between Tetsuro and keiji.

They had just placed their orders when Tetsuro looked out the window and his breath caught. There, squatting in front of a child just across the street was Kei. He seemed to forget where he was as he stupidly gawked at the two people he'd thought of in these five days than anyone else in his entire lifetime.

" right bro? "

Kotaro's voice seemed to be coming from far away, he had forgotten he was with people; at that moment, his world revolved around the man and the boy across the street.

" Tetsuro? " he jerked back to consciousness as Kenma hit his foot

" earth to, what's got you hooked? " Kenma asked as he followed Tetsuro's gaze, he inhaled sharply and this got the attention of the other two

" is that Kei? " Kotaro whispered this reverently as though he was speaking of a sacred deity. This seemed to snap Tetsuro back to reality, he quickly got up and ran off without a word.

 

His friends understood.

 

***

Kei squatted in front of Yu as the boy sniffled, pointing towards the dog shelter. 

Yu had always wanted a puppy and Kei wanted him to have one really but that meant having to take care of an animal in addition to himself and a child, Kei did not feel he was up for that yet.

" I promise I'll get you a puppy as soon as you're old enough to clean up after him, ok? "

" I " sniffle " clean 'im now daddy " the boy said with a pout

" I know but you've got to bathe him too. And who'll look after him when you're at school? You don't want to leave your puppy all alone, do you? "

Yu thought this through and could not come up with an answer. His lips puckered and fresh tears began to fall; Kei's heart broke at the sight, he decided he would get his son a puppy, he'll find a way to manage.

 

Kei heard someone stop behind him but didn't bother turning around

" daddy puppy, please? "

" ok, I'll get you one. Please stop crying "

Kei wiped Yu's eyes as the boy gave him a smile. He gave his dad a tight hug around the neck and took Kei's finger

" let's go! "

Kei gave him an amused smile

" yes sir "

He turned and found himself eye to eye with Tetsuro.

" Kei"

 

Kei took a step backwards, putting his son behind him. He looked at Tetsuro and without saying a word tried to step to the side but the other man moved too, blocking his path.

" get away from me Tetsuro " Kei said in a quiet voice full of venom

 

***

Tetsuro wasn't sure what he was going to say to Kei when he got to him but he kept moving anyway. As he got within a few feet of them he heard a part of their conversation, something about a puppy. Seemed like the kid wanted one. He waited, trying to formulate a greeting, dammit, why was this so hard? 

And then Kei turned, his greeting died on his lips.

The first thing he noticed was that the smile had completely vanished from Kei's face on seeing him, the second was that kei had taken a step away from him not as though he feared him but as though he was trying to protect the boy from him. An omega protecting his pup.

 

Tetsuro's heart twisted painfully, this seemingly small and subtle act hurt him much more than he thought possible, if Kei had smacked him repeatedly across the face it still wouldn't hurt as much. It pained him that Kei thought so low of him to the extent that he felt the need to protect the boy; he understood that it was some kind of maternal instinct but that did not stop the hurt.

 

He looked down and saw wide honey coloured eyes staring back at him, the boy's hand clutching tightly to the finger he held. Does this mean his son was scared of him too?

He wanted to take a step closer but managed to stop himself in time, he didn't want Kei any more defensive than he already was.

 

" I'm not going to bite Kei, please", he took a deep breath  
" I just want to talk "

" well good luck with that, we'll be on our way "

Kei tried to step to the side again but this time he was stopped by Tetsuro's outstretched arms

" please Kei, just... let's talk, please"

His vocabulary seemed to always become faulty whenever he met Kei, his words limited to just 'please' and... well 'please'. He felt his face heat up at the thought.

Kei looked so good in his charcoal grey casual v- necked sweater light enough for the weather, fitted black slacks and slippers. Who knew a guy could look so hot on slippers?

" what do you want Tetsuro? "

Kei's reply wasn't much but it was a start and he could work with it

" I... Please lets talk "

" about what? ", Kei asked, knowing what it was but dreading to admit it

" the child for starters"

Something in Kei's eyes shifted and he got a glimpse of... What? Fear? He didn't want Kei to be scared of him, he would not stand a chance of getting to know his son if that happened.

" Kei, I won't bite " he repeated to the blonde who seemed ready to bolt

Kei's voice shook a little

" what about my son? "

He watched the dark haired man close his eyes and nervously scratch his neck. Today he was dressed in a pair of faded blue knee length jeans, burgundy t-shirt and navy blue espadrilles. But that bedhead though... His thoughts were interrupted by the object of his observation

" he's mine, isn't he? "

Kei inhaled sharply and took an instinctive step backwards. That irrational thought came back again: what if Tetsuro tried to take Yu away from him? He knew he would be powerless to stop that from happening, he would fight with everything he had but he would lose. He couldn't lose Yu, he just couldn't, it would kill him 

" Kei..."

Tetsuro already knew the answer to his question, one only needed to look at the child to know. He was a spitting image of him.

He knew he had hurt Kei badly, he knew that Kei could probably never forgive him for the past but the truth was that he wanted to be a part of his son's life. He wanted to watch the boy grow and wanted to hear him call him dad.

" what do you want Tetsuro? " Kei asked again in a weak voice

" I... I'd like to get to know him. But first I'd like to talk to you, I want to explain everything. It's really not how you think it was "

" I don't have to think, I know because you made it perfectly clear "

Tetsuro took a shaky breath

" damn, I'm not saying this right "

" language please, there's a child here "

Tetsuro stared at the boy for what seemed like hours before looking back at Kei

" what I'm trying to say is that I'd like to talk to you, I'd like a chance to explain everything properly. I know you think I'm just a fucked up asshole who's never up to any good because of what I did but I just need a chance to explain. Please Kei I'd like a chance to get to know him, I swear I'm willing to try "

" I already told you, language. You're not the one who has to answer any question he asks about those curses " Kei said this quietly with something that sounded like resignation in his voice.

" I'm sorry "

 

The way he said this made Kei look at him. It sounded like he wasn't just apologising for the words he had used but also for something else.

Kei was so hurt and so confused, this was not how it was supposed to go. He had thought walking away would be easy but the look in the other man's eyes made it difficult, made Kei almost believe him. Almost

 

Tetsuro saw the hesitation in Kei's eyes and thought it best not to push, not with the kind of history they shared. He opened his wallet, took out his pen and an old receipt and scribbled something behind it before nervously handing it to Kei

" umm I know you probably don't want to talk now so here... Please "

Kei took it.

 

" one more favour... " he said this so softly it was a miracle Kei heard him 

" what? "

" his name "

 

Kei looked at the little dark haired boy peering from between his legs before looking back at Tetsuro

" Yu, his name is Yu "

 

He saw Tetsuro's eyes become glassy before the other man looked away blinking rapidly

" thank you. "

Kei nodded and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Kei was on autopilot. He fed Yu held him as he watched a cartoon and took him to his room when he fell asleep.

 

He replayed his conversation with Tetsuro over and over again in his head as he stared at the number scribbled behind the receipt. Tetsuro wanted to talk but needed Kei to be the one to initiate, he wanted Kei to call the shots. 

 

He knew that if he called everything would change.

 

Hot tears began to fall and he had to wonder again why all of this was happening, it was happening so quickly he barely had time to catch his breath and think; he, who was always so level headed especially in tight situations, was flustered.

 

He didn't expect he'd feel this way, didn't think he'd feel anything at all for Tetsuro or his plight, so why did he feel those pangs in his heart?

 

He cried for a full fifteen minutes before going to the bathroom to wash his face. He knew what to do.

 

" Kei? "

" Akiteru. Good afternoon"

" hey Kei. The place is so quiet, where's Yu? "

" he's asleep "

Akiteru chuckled

" no wonder. Haruno and Mizuken are also asleep, thank goodness ". He was referring to his son and his partner.

" so what's up? "

" Teru, there's something I want to talk to you about "

" what's wrong Kei? ", his brother's voice had taken a concerned tone

" I ran into Tetsuro last week, he saw Yu "

The silence on the other side was so long Kei thought they had disconnected

" hello? Teru? "

" yes Kei. Are you alright? "

" I don't know, I'm not sure how I feel about anything anymore"

" how did it happen? "

Kei proceeded to tell him everything, starting from the previous Friday to that day's meeting

" he gave me his number"

" what do you intend doing? "

" I'm not sure yet that's why I called. What do you think I should do? "

" Kei remember what happened? How it ended two years ago? Do you think you can go through that again? "

" he didn't know about the pregnancy ", Kei whispered, his voice breaking

" does that justify his action? Do you think he's changed because he now knows he has a son? "

 

Kei let out a soft sob and his brother wished he was there to comfort him. Kei never cried so this obviously hurt him so badly.

" hey listen. I know I'm still mad at him for what he did to you and as much as I'd like to give you a biased advise, I can't make this decision for you. It's in your hands now, you're the only one who knows the right thing to do; I trust you.

" but I want you to know that there's two of you now, think of Yu in all of this. He's going to be directly affected by what you choose to do. Don't be hasty, think it through carefully with that calm head of yours and whatever course you choose to take, I'll support. Ok? "

" ok ", Kei sniffled

" sorry I wasn't much help "

" what? No, you were perfect. Its why I always talk to you about stuffs first "

 

He didn't know how deeply his brother blushed at this compliment

" be safe, alright? Gotta go now but I'll call later tonight "

" ok. Thanks again Teru "

" anytime, I'm always here for you. Talk to you later. Bye "

" yeah, bye "

 

Kei wiped the last traces of tears from his face. Thank God he called Akiteru, his brother had helped put things in perspective.

 

***

Three pairs of blinking eyes stared at him incredulously.

They had left the mall some 45 minutes earlier, Keiji had driven them to Tetsuro's home seeing as he was too shaken to do so; they had sat on the floor in silence until Kotaro had broken the silence by asking what Kei was doing in Tokyo.

 

Tetsuro then went ahead to tell them about both meetings.

 

" what?! ", they'd asked in unison as though they had rehearsed it for a time like this. 

 

Tetsuro had to repeat the part about having a son shamefully. His friends saw how beaten he was but they did not care, they wanted the full story and the full story they shall get.

 

" I have a son. Kei was pregnant when I broke it off "

" so why did you do it Tetsuro? ". Kenma had put his game aside, this was a serious matter

" I didn't know! I swear to God I didn't. If I had, I wouldn't have ended it "

" so I'm an uncle? ", Kotaro seemed stunned by this realisation

" what do you intend doing now? ", Keiji asked finally understanding his friend's behavior

" I'll wait, I hope he calls "

" I've been an uncle for two years and I didn't know? "

" Kotaro, none of us knew " Keiji soothed his awestruck boyfriend

" what's his name bro? "

" Yu " Tetsuro answered with a small smile

" oh man, I'm gonna spoil little Yu. I'm gonna be the best uncle ever! " Kotaro hooted happily. He had no nephews or nieces because he was an only child, so this news certainly excited him alot

 

" what if he doesn't call? " 

 

Tetsuro moaned. Keiji had asked what was on all their minds, except maybe Kotaro who was still basking in his newly discovered uncleship 

 

" I don't know "

 

He seemed at the verge of tears. What if Kei didn't call? What if he decided his son was better off without a father like him? What if Kei decided to leave Tokyo?

He opened his eyes to see Kenma staring pointedly at him and he knew he was about to be scolded.

 

" I always told you that you were an asshole and that someday you'll get hit by your own bullet "

Tetsuro hung his head

 

" you're lucky Kei is a logical and selfless man, he'll make the right decision in the end "

With that said, picked up his game and shut off all banter

 

" those are pretty deep words Kenma", Kotaro said nodding at him


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so I decided I'll update chapters 5 and 6 today. I hope you enjoy it

The next Saturday, exactly ten days after Tetsuro had given Kei his number, Kei sat clutching his phone gazing at nothing.

 

He decided he'd call Tetsuro today to see if they could meet and talk. He'd thought about it and decided his son deserved to know his father even if he was an asshole.

 

Yu might grow up to resent the fact that Kei had kept his dad away from him and he doubted he'd be able to forgive himself if that happened. And to be fair, he hadn't told Tetsuro he was pregnant before he got dumped.

He took a deep breath and dialed

 

***

 

Tetsuro was in the kitchen chatting with Keiji as they made breakfast. He had spent the night at their place, Kotaro was still fast asleep. 

Tetsuro was very anxious and he was relying this to Keiji: Kei still hadn't called

 

" just give him time"

" I already have, ten days is a lot of time "

" well give him some more time "

 

Tetsuro sighed in frustration, just then his phone rang: Unknown number

 

" hello " he almost growled

" hello? Is this Tetsuro? "

" Kei? " he asked after a pause

 

Keiji turned sharply, his eyes narrowing

 

" umm... So... I... Umm "

" its ok, take your time ", he said softly. He heard Kei let out a breath

 

" are you free today? "

" yes " Tetsuro practically screamed this 

" I'm free, I have absolutely nothing to do today "

Actually he had lunch to do with his dad but he'd cancel

" so can we see? "

" yes we can. Where? What time? "

" I have to be at the office briefly so how about 2 at Lula's? "

" perfect"

" I'll come from the office so I'll meet you there "

" I could pick you up "

" you don't have to bother, I'll take a cab "

" no it's fine really, I'll pick you up. Where's the office? "

" House of Ukai, its at Karasuno district"

Whoa, House of Ukai? " ok got it, I'll be there "

" alright, see you then? "

" for sure. Be safe, bye "

 

He had barely ended the call before he screamed 'yes!', then giving Keiji the good news while still jumping about

 

" Tetsuro shut the fuck up! " Kotaro yelled from the room

" sorry" he yelled back as he flung himself on the couch, all though of breakfast forgotten.

 

***

 

Kei had just hung up the attire he was sewing when his phone rang. He picked up his bag and left the work room as he saw the caller I. D

" I'll be out in a minute "

" take all the time you need "

 

He was a bit nervous about this afternoon and had to wonder if he had made the right decision and if he was ready for this. He shook his head and mentally scolded himself: this was for the best, he was doing it for Yu.

 

He stepped out of the building and saw Tetsuro sitting on the hood of his Benz, Kei's breath caught at the sight. Tetsuro was wearing a dark coloured shirt with tiny brown polka dots, black jeans, tan bucks and a black jacket; three simple bracelets adorned his wrist and he had on his sunglasses. When did the bastard not ever look hot? 

Movement from his peripheral vision caused him to turn, taking off his glasses he watched Kei's approach. Kei walked slowly, deliberately, as though trying to size him up and decide whether or not to complete his journey or run the hell away. He seemed unsure and Tetsuro tried to put him at ease with a smile.

 

He got down from the car and opened the passenger door for the blonde, Kei's steps faltered

 

" I'm capable of opening the door myself, you know? "

 

Tetsuro laughed nervously

 

" I know, just habit is all "

 

Kei eyed the inside of the car as though he expected to see someone crouching at the back with a knife

" its ok, you can go in "

 

Kei sighed and went in, Tetsuro climbed in just as Kei was done putting on his seatbelt

 

" wow, so House of Ukai? "

" yes "

" how long? "

" 6 months "

" oh. What do you do? "

" I'm a stylist and a designer "

" that's so cool "

 

Tetsuro wasn't really surprised at this, Kei always had a good sense for all things fashion related and was awesome at designing, he just wasn't so confident in his abilities.

They drove in silence as he observed Kei. Today, Kei wore fitted beige chinos, a chocolate brown shirt, tan chukkas and carried a black bag. He loved the look, he always loved how Kei looked and that was one of the things that drew him to the blonde the first time he'd seen him. 

 

They got to Lula's and Kei picked a seat by the window before picking up the menu

 

" I thought you'd come along with Yu "

 

Tetsuro said this casually, trying hide his disappointment and failing miserably. Kei looked at him briefly before going back to his menu

 

" Koshi, my colleague, agreed to babysit him while I worked. I'll pick him up from his place"

 

" ah "

 

But Tetsuro had to wonder if it wasn't because Kei did not want the boy near him at the moment. They placed their orders and an awkward silence fell. Kei was obviously waiting for him to speak after all it was he who begged for an audience.

 

" Kei, I... I know you're still mad at me for that time, I know I hurt you bad and I honestly would not be surprised if you can't forgive me. We had a good thing going and I messed it up for the both of us "

 

He kept quiet, maybe he wanted Kei to say something or maybe he just wanted to gather up the courage to continue, he didn't know for sure but the other man remained silent.

 

" I know I had a bad track record then, probably still do. But then, I really didn't want to be tied in a relationship, I had a twisted idea of just having fun; I wanted my freedom "

 

" I didn't think it was just fun, too bad for me then, I guess "

He had replied in a deathly quiet voice laced with bitterness that made Tetsuro freeze

 

" Kei... " 

 

He was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter who came to give them their orders and Tetsuro noticed how the man, who was so obviously an alpha, lingered longer than necessary at Kei's side. He growled at the fucker before the man snapped back to his senses and retreated sheepishly.

 

" it wasn't also just about the fun for me Kei. I mean it was at first, you weren't as easy to get as the others and I was thrilled by the chase but then I got to really know you and ___ "

 

" enough with the clichés Tetsuro, you never felt like I was anything more than a fling "

 

The blood drained from the older man's face

 

" I swear Kei, that's not true. That was not it, really "

" you lied to me, you deceived me; I trusted you and you hurt me like it was nothing "  
Kei's voice broke slightly

 

" Kei... "

He reached across the table to take Kei's hands but Kei drew back

 

" it wasn't like that at all "

" how was it then? "

" I had fallen in love with you ", Tetsuro whispered

" I had fallen in love with you and I didn't know what to do. I had never felt that way before and when Kenma told me I was in love, I freaked. I didn't think I was ready for that so I took an easy way out. I lied to myself that it was just because you were different and I told myself it was time to move on to something new "

He laughed harshly

 

" I didn't expect to feel the kind of emptiness I felt when you left, it was like a huge part of me left with you. I spoke to my friends about it and they told me the same thing Kenma did and asked me to go get you back. They said it was an alpha's connection to his omega.

" after a while I went to your apartment to look for you but they told me you done with your exams and you were gone. They wouldn't tell me where you went "

 

" I was at Miyagi, my family was taking care of me"

 

" I'm sorry Kei, I know no amount of apology can change the past or make me redeemable but I'm asking for a second chance. I want to be the father I haven't been and the alpha I failed to be.

" I didn't know you were pregnant, if I did I wouldn't have done something so stupid. Why didn't you tell me about it? "

 

Kei didn't answer at first, he was looking out the window at a hotdog vendor. Then Tetsuro saw the tears coming down his cheek, his heart broke

 

" Kei... "

 

" I was going to, but that was the day you broke up with me "

 

Kei turned and looked him right in the eye

 

" that was the day you told me you'd had enough and you were bored out of your mind. That was the day you laughed at me and told me I was nothing special, that I was just like every other guy you'd slept with. A number.

" you think I'd still bother telling the person who had said these things to me that I was going to have his child? If you didn't want me, you wouldn't want the child one rejection was enough "

 

Kei had spoken quietly, so quietly that it was impossible for those on the next table to have heard but the words rang so loud in Tetsuro's ears that he thought he was going to go deaf.

 

" now that I think of it, this was a mistake. Excuse me but I'll be leaving now "

 

Kei reached for his bag at the same time Tetsuro reached for his hand, his expression frantic

 

" Kei please wait, don't do this please"

 

He was begging again, he was being pathetic but he didn't care. He would be a fool for Kei, he wanted him and he desperately did not want to be shut out of Yu's life. He wanted to atone for the past and more than anything, he wanted Kei to see that his feelings were real 

 

" why not? "

 

There were a lot of things he could have said to Kei at that moment but he was speechless, he could only stare at honey coloured eyes moist with tears.

 

Kei scoffed

" thought as much" 

 

He gathered up his belongings

 

" thanks for the meal " he murmured and left

 

Tetsuro looked at Kei's plate, his meal was untouched; Kei's plate was full, just like his own


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mostly consists of conversations and it's really short

" how did it go? " Akiteru inquired

" God it was a disaster, I shouldn't have gone "

" what happened? "

" we didn't even talk about Yu, we didn't get there at all "

" so what did you talk about? "

" he said he was sorry and that he wanted to get back together, said he wanted another chance "

 

Kei told him everything and when he was done his face was wet with tears again

 

" what did you say? "

" I practically told him no and left. I ran away "

" is that what you want Kei? "

" what? "

" I mean I get that you're mad at him and your hurt is making you lash out but don't you think you made a hasty decision? "

" I don't understand "

" Kei it's been two years but you're obviously still affected, you're still crying about it. I think you still have feelings for him and it scares you, you're scared he would end up hurting you again "

 

His brother had spoken in a low gentle voice and Kei felt his agitation begin to slip

 

" Teru please, that's not it. It can't be " Kei's voice was pleading, like he was begging his brother to take away the truth of that statement

" no Kei, it's not a lie. You still love him and from all you've told me he still loves you too "

" but I can't, not again. Please I don't think I can go through that again "

 

His brother's voice came so softly and Kei knew he had a tender expression on his face right now

 

" the past is not bound to repeat itself, it might not happen the same way again. If he has learnt his lesson, Tetsuro would not hurt you again "

" and if he does? "

" I'll fillet him "

 

Kei laughed quietly at this 

 

" all I'm saying is that you both find a common ground and start from there, let fate do the rest "

" fate? I hate that bitch " Kei hissed

 

Akiteru's laughter filled his ears

" I know. Just think about it ok? "

" ok. Thank you "

" don't thank me Kei, that's what brothers do. Sleep well "

" you too"

 

Kei ended the call and laid back in bed. Common ground huh? He could do that but was his heart ready? 

 

***

That night, Tetsuro sat up in bed thinking. He was not at all sleepy, nope far from that; the day's events were still fresh on his mind, how could something that started quite well go so horribly wrong in the twinkle of an eye? Kei thought he was lying and had fled from the restaurant, he didn't know how he'd get Kei to see him again. He knew Kei would avoid him like the plague and it would be a miracle if he'd be able come within fifty feet of him.

 

He sighed. Love was a cruel thing but then it was his fault he was in this mess in the first place. Love had offered him something good but he had chosen instead to throw it away. Way to go sucker.

 

He reached for his phone, maybe he should call him? He stopped mid reach, nah, Kei needed time to sought himself out. He'd probably ignore him anyway.

 

Kei was still very much hurt by what he had done, that much he saw. But what Kei didn't know was when he had driven home that day two years ago, he had locked himself up in his bathroom and wept in the shower. He couldn't understand why the pain in his heart wouldn't go away but the tears had kept flowing and didn't stop for close to an hour. He had wept as he remembered the look on Kei's face, what he'd seen in the younger man's eyes haunted him for almost a year. It had taken a lot of support from his friends to bring him out of that state. 

 

And now, just when he thought he had gotten the chance to make it up to Kei everything had gone to shit. Again.

 

Just then his phone buzzed and his heart dropped as he saw the sender: 12 tomorrow, followed by an address

Kei wanted to see him. Tears of relieve he didn't even know was there poured out

Kei wanted to see him, maybe he still had a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this story has lots of teary parts and trust me there's more to come. 
> 
> Sorry for the shortness, I'll make up for it in the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you for reading


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you might think this meeting came too quickly after what happened in the previous chapter but I want you to remember that Kei is an extremely logical man who has the interest of his son at heart, he'd do anything for the boy

Kei checked the sauce to make sure it wasn't burning, added a little more curry and stirred it. He had invited Tetsuro over for lunch and was making rice balls and beef sauce. He was not a great cook but then his cooking was good enough. He started learning how to cook after he found out he was pregnant, it was not his intention to have his child survive on take outs and all those other stuffs they put God-knows-what in. He even learned how to bake too, maybe no one would think this was insanely awesome but he never failed to give himself a pat on the back. Atta boy

 

He went to Yu's room to check on him, he was still asleep, good.

 

The buzzer went off and Kei's heart began to thud, he knew who was at the door. Ok, breathe.

 

He opened the door as casually as he could to see a very nervous Tetsuro smiling at him uncertainly. He was holding a bouquet of sunflower-dandelion mix on one hand and a bottle of wine on the other. Kei was surprised at this gesture but grateful nonetheless.

 

Tetsuro looked around Kei's apartment as he walked in and was impressed by what he saw, the apartment was artistic, minimal and downright beautiful just like its owner. The entryway had a circular mirror on one side of the wall and under it a table with a flower vase on it ( where Kei put the flowers ) and a lovely little rug. The parlor was spacious but still welcoming, the walls were painted in whites and pastels, the cushions looked uber comfortable with beautifully coloured throw pillows here and there; there were artworks littered in various parts of the room and a shelf holding some books and other decorative items stood in a corner.

 

One one side of the wall, hung some pictures but one in particular drew his attention, it was a photo of Kei and Yu. It was a back view kind of shot where Yu was holding Kei's finger and was laughing while Kei was looking down at him with a smile on his face. It seemed like it had just rained and Kei was wearing a black coat while Yu wore a red coat and a black head warmer. It was a very simple and very beautiful picture and Tetsuro found he couldn't tear his eyes off it; it gave him a glimpse of those precious little moments he had missed and the bond he truly wished to share.

 

" that was taken in Paris when Yu was one "

" its beautiful "

" thank you, I think so too. Lunch is ready "

" you cooked? Since when did you cook? " Tetsuro asked incredulously which made Kei smile briefly 

" since I found out I was pregnant, didn't want my kid feeding on junk "

" speaking of, where's Yu? " he asked shyly

" he's asleep " Kei looked at him thoughtfully for a moment  
" would you like to see his room? "

" yes " came the quick answer  
" I mean if you don't mind "

 

Kei led him to the boy's room and he found himself amazed at the sight of the sleeping child, he could stare at him all day and not even get tired. He automatically reached out to touch Yu's cheek but caught himself, Kei had not given him permission to do so but a quiet voice prodded him 

 

" you can touch him if you want "

 

So Tetsuro touched his son for the very first time. He took a shaky breath as his skin came into contact with his son's; he was touching his own flesh and blood, he marveled at the beauty of it all. His eyes watered but dammit he did not want to cry, not here. He wanted to relish this moment and memorise every second of it, every breath and every feel; this was a moment that would never again occur.

 

He stood there for what seemed like hours before turning to Kei only to find himself staring at nothing, Kei had undoubtedly understood how important this encounter was to him and chose to excuse them. He smiled at his thoughtfulness.

 

He found his way to the kitchen where he heard Kei and sat on a chair

" thank you "

 

Kei nodded and began to serve the meal. Tetsuro took a bite

 

" you made this? "

Kei smiled

" don't sound so surprised, it's no rocket science "

Tetsuro laughed at this

" for someone who couldn't make a decent sandwich two years ago, it is. This is nice though, ever thought of being a chef? "

Kei laughed at the teasing 

" now that you mention it, I'll put it under consideration. Nice to know I have more career options "

 

Kei looked at the man eating silently opposite him

 

" Tetsuro, I'm sorry about yesterday, I don't know why I reacted that way but -- "

" Kei " his companion interrupted " it's ok, no need to apologise. I'm sorry too "

Kei nodded

" so can we talk now? There won't be any freaking out on my part "

 

The other man stopped eating

 

" sure. So.. Ummm.. Listen, I know what I said at the restaurant came so suddenly but I want you to know that I meant every word I said. The way I felt those years ago and how I feel now are the same.

" I still want you Kei, but only if you'll have me. I've made some terrible mistakes, I can't change the past but I'm willing to work with the present, I'm willing to work towards a future for us "

 

The import of what he'd just said sank in slowly, he wanted something with Kei. Kei stuttered a little

 

" you.. You want a family? "

" yes, but only if you're willing to give me that. I would never force you to do something you don't want to. Kei please look at me"

 

He did

 

" I know you don't trust me anymore but I promise you I will do my best to earn back your trust and i will not break it again. I would never dream of hurting you again "

 

Kei looked away

 

" I'm not sure I'm willing to take that risk again "

 

The other man's face fell

 

" but I'm willing to find a place we can meet. I.. Well Yu, there's him. We could start there..." 

 

He perked up at this. He told himself not to raise his hopes but he couldn't not

 

" you're his dad after all, you deserve a chance to get to know him "

" what? " his voice was hushed and came as a whisper

" everyone should know their kids and no child should be stopped from knowing their parents. I can't promise our relationship would go back to what it once was but I can promise that I won't keep Yu away from you. So there, that's our common ground "

" thank you Kei, this means so much to me. I could literarily die of happiness " he whispered

Kei nodded

" just don't do that here, don't know how I'll explain to a kid why there's a dead body in our house "

 

Tetsuro laughed

 

" he's a good boy, you know? You'll love him and I'm sure he'll love you too "

" I know I will, you trained him well I'm sure "

 

After that they talked about his school schedule, his health and all things Yu related before moving on to other things

 

" so you work with House of Ukai? "

" again, yes "

" that's amazing Kei. What do you design? "

" just clothes"

" hmm I wonder if I've ever worn something you designed, I bet I have "

Kei laughed

" I bet you haven't. I only started working there 6 months ago, my designs have not gone into the market yet until after fashion week "

" so what exactly have you been doing? "

" making designs for the new season, sewing some of my boss' designs, doing fittings and styling models for some campaigns "

" when is fashion week? I'll buy all of your designs "

" you'll be bankrupt "

" anything for you Kei "

" daddy? "

 

Both heads turned to see Yu standing at the door clutching a stuffed dinosaur

 

" hey, you "

 

The boy walked slowly towards Kei with outstretched arms. Kei carried him and he rested his head at the crook of his father's neck. Kei looked at Tetsuro 

 

" he's usually like this when he wakes up, he'll be wide awake in about 20 seconds or so "

 

And sure enough Yu became his usual bubbly self in no time at all

" morning daddy "

" afternoon sunshine " Kei corrected as Yu giggled 

" hungry "

" ok but first you have to say hi to him "

 

Yu looked at Tetsuro with interest for a few seconds before saying hi

" g'haffoon " he greeted as Tetsuro laughed at his son's pronunciation of afternoon

" hey little man "

Yu found this funny and giggled. Kei left them at the table and went to get the boy's lunch. He watched them talk and laugh and felt strangely at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it, I'm sorry I didn't make Tetsuro grovel as someone suggested but I hope this is good enough.  
> I'll post an update sooner than you expect, that's a promise


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!  
> This chapter is mostly banter. 
> 
> Actually the story flowed this way and I chose not to scrap it out cause there were so much feelings and all that in the last two chapters, I wanted a little rest from all that

On Monday, Tetsuro was all smiles, a smile that nothing and no one could wipe off his face. He cheerfully greeted everyone he met on his way to his office and gave Keiji a bone crushing hug when they met. 

 

He'd called his three closest friends to tell them what had happened; actually he'd been giving them updates, as per their demand, since the mall incident. They were totally happy for him.

 

He hummed happily as he worked and occasionally paused to text Kei. Kei had asked him to tag along whenever he goes to pick Yu this week, he thought it would be a good way of making Yu get used to seeing him around. He couldn't wait for 1 o'clock.

 

It felt like nothing could dampen his happy mood, he even went to the firm's briefing smiling like an idiot until...

 

" Tetsuro can you tell me why there are five old cases still open from the criminal litigations department? " his dad asked in that authoritative way of his

 

Tetsuro opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted

 

" it's been 3 weeks and I expected results but everything is still the same. What have you been doing? Sleeping on the files? Do you think they're meant to decorate your file cabinet? Have you ever opened them? Do you know their facts? Do you even know their titles?... "

 

And on and on it went. His smile slowly turned into a scowl, that old geezer.

 

***

 

Meanwhile in House of Ukai...

 

"... No, I say we go with Goth "

 

The key players from each department in the fashion house were gathered in the conference room which was in fact a large room with extremely comfortable cushions where everyone sat wherever and however they wanted, even on the floor, as long as they were comfortable and popcorn or some other snack was eaten as they deliberated on the issue at hand. Today's issues were how many slots the house could afford to pay for, all things considered, and the best styles to use.

 

Asahi began to give a breakdown of the budget. How much they'll spend on make up

" call Looks, at Johzenji's as soon as this meeting is over, see if they'll be available for the make up " Keishin instructed Kiyoko;

They needed to hire hairstylists 

" call Semi at Shiratorizawa too " ;

They wouldn't spend much on streaming since they've got enough hands and equipments for that 

" perfect " ;

They'll need to hire models too. Kiyoko spoke up at this point

" we've already contacted Aoba Jousai and Fukurodani modelling agencies " 

" great job Kiyoko "

 

With all that settled, they agreed to pay for three displays, two for menswear and one for womenswear. The next issue was styles, they had not agreed on one much less three. Terushima was all for Goth 

 

" Goth is crazy, ok? Goth is awesome. I've seen some of the styling and they scream Goth. Lets do Goth for the first show, right Kei? "

" actually I prefer grunge for the first display seeing the kinds of mix we intend doing "

" Kei you fucking traitor "

" what? " 

" I think I go with Kei " Shoyo said from his position on the floor beside Yu, his fellow photographer

" Goth works for me " Daichi chipped in

" I don't know. I mean I've sketched a few combinations myself and they fall within both styles " Keishin spoke his position on top the table

" you've already made combinations? " Taketora blurted

It was no secret that Keishin could be pretty lazy sometimes and was mostly seen lounging on the cushion in his office or making a phone call but hardly working. This definitely came as a surprise 

 

Keishin shot him a glare

" what do you think I've been doing in my office? Barking orders at everyone and staring at photos of my family? "

 

Taketora's face reddened as Ryu went into hysterics. Keishin shot him a twin glare

" zip it "

" umm I think we could mix the two styles " Hitoka suggested while nervously playing with her ankle chain, she had everyone's attention 

" we could do Goth make up and grunge outfit or part grunge, part Goth "

 

" that's awesome Hitoka, we could do that. What do you guys think? "

 

The room agreed

 

" ok so what aspect of Goth do we focus on? "

Koshi made a suggestion

" how about the eyes? They could make the eyes very smoky and the faces a little whiter than normal to get the Goth look "

" white faces? So now we're gonna have ghosts walking for us? " Tobio asked incredulously

" he didn't say they should be as white as ghost faces, just white enough for the black to really pop " Kiyoko defended as she bent to pick her notepad, giving everyone a glimpse of the chain encircling her tiny waist

" maybe you could paint their lips black too " Yu seemed proud of himself at the suggestion

Ryu almost yelled

" what is it? Some kind of freak show?! "

" well we can't just leave them with white faces and black eyes, we have to add a little something, something unique or they'll end up looking like corpses "

" and adding black lips would do the trick? Next you'll say we should have them walk bare assed cause it'll be a unique new look "

" well that's not a crime Ryu, nudists exist amongst us " Shoyo piped in 

Ryu couldn't believe his ears

" you'll let guys parade the streets of Tokyo butt naked? Where is your manhood, bro? "

Kei sniggered " manhood "

" they're not parading the streets of Tokyo, it's just a stage in Tokyo " Terushima shot back

" well technically it's the streets of Tokyo cause its gonna be aired " Taketora answered, he always had Ryu's back

" ok, enough you guys " Keishin interjected. If he didn't stop this now, the guys in room 40 would just keep going on and on and they didn't have time for that

" how about black nails instead? "

 

The room went quiet at this suggestion before they began to cheer Asahi with the guys in room 40 thumping his back and giving him fist bumps as though he'd just proposed to his boyfriend Yu.

 

" so Goth / grunge style, white faces, black eyes and nails. We've gotten that out of the way. Lets move on to the next " their boss ordered 

 

" oh oh oh how about something fairy themed? "

" what tha fuck man?! "

" yeah I agree with Taketora, what tha fuck? " Tobio yelled, his milk forgotten  
" first ghosts now fairies, what are we? Fucking Disney? "

" it was just a suggestion" 

 

Kei rubbed his temples, here we go again.

 

***

 

About three hours later, Tetsuro texted Kei to tell him he was about to leave the office and that he'll call him as soon as he got to the fashion house.

 

The meeting was finally over and Kei's head was pounding. They had argued for over an hour over the second display because Shoyo had to suggest something fairy related reason being that it was for womenswear and soft flowy materials were used. In the end though, they had agreed on sexy boho with lots of jewelleries; while the third display would be a laid back/ conservative / contemporary mix, this one had been been by some miracle decided upon quickly.

 

Tetsuro's call came in

" hey, I'm parked out front "

" be down on a second "

 

Kei grabbed his jacket and left his quiet office.

 

Tetsuro watched Kei through his window, his gaze appreciative. Kei walked like a model, a cocky model too handsome to not be appreciated. He had on slim black jeans, oxblood tees, camp mocs and a denim jacket. He looked like a blond Olympian god who had just stepped out of a street style magazine.

 

Kei got onto the car and let out a big sigh

" please take me out of here "

" rough day so far? "

Kei squinted

" uh huh "

" tell me about it " the other man murmured as he started the car

 

When they got to the school, Kei got out of the car but Tetsuro was unsure what to do so he didn't get out

 

" why are you still in the car? "

Tetsuro fidgeted

" I didn't know if I was supposed to... "

 

Kei cocked an eyebrow

" you're supposed to be picking him up too. Please get out of the car, I don't want Yu thinking we now have a chauffeur "

Tetsuro laughed as he locked the car

" why are you dressed like that? "

" like how? "

" like a responsible person "

 

Tetsuro looked at himself then laughed again. He was wearing slim ankle length dress trousers teal in color, white dress shirt, black blazers and black wingtips

" had a meeting today. Scared everyone would see me as the responsible parent? "

He didn't know how Kei would react to his saying parent and was relieved when the younger man smirked

" not with that hair "

" everyone loves my hair "

" don't you wish "

 

The class was rowdy, the kids were busy with one after school activity or the other which excited them. They found Yu crouching between two other kids before the teacher alerted him of Kei's arrival

 

" daddy! "

The boy ran and flung himself at Kei who in turn threw him up before catching him to the boys delight

" g' haffoon Turo "

That was the best Yu could pronounce his name and Tetsuro didn't mind one bit, hell he looked forward to hearing it

" hey bud "

He gave the boy his fist and the boy bumped his against it energetically 

" fist bump! " they said together and laughed

Kei rolled his eyes

 

" children. When did you teach him that? "

" when you weren't looking "

" you're a bad influence on our son "

 

Tetsuro's heart did a flip at what Kei said

" you said 'our son' "

" isn't he? "

He looked at the boy as he ran to pick up his backpack and say bye to his friends

" he is"

 

The little cannon came between both men, grabbed their fingers and pulled towards the door

" let's go! "

 

***

 

That was the routine everyday for that week and the next. Tetsuro picked Kei up from work, they went to pick Yu before he dropped them back at Kei's office or at home. He didn't mind that, he loved the short time he got to spend with them and always looked forward to it.

 

He usually called Kei every night and they'd talk on and on about anything and everything; sometimes Yu would be awake so he got to say goodnight to him. His friends always wanted to know how things were going and soon started asking when they could meet his son, especially Kotaro. He always told them the same thing: they would meet him as soon as Kei was comfortable enough for that. He wanted to go at Kei's pace.

 

His phone buzzed

Kei : Yu's been asking to go to the aquarium for some time now

Kei : I'm thinking Saturday. Can you make it?

 

Tomorrow was Saturday and even though this was short notice, he was glad that Kei had included him in their plans, it meant Kei wanted this to work too.

 

You : Sure. What time? "

Kei : 1? Got to finish up something at work

You : Cool. I'll come pick you up

Kei : Alright. Goodnight

You : Goodnight Kei, see you tomorrow

 

He laid back in bed with a smile, things were going well. They hadn't been able to spend alot of time together because of how busy Kei was, therefore, this gesture touched him. He was grateful

 

He still loved Kei, still wanted to be a part of his life but he had to wonder, what if Kei didn't feel the same way? Its been two weeks since he'd asked Kei if he was willing to give him a second chance and Kei was still silent, he had not even mentioned it. He didn't think it was because Kei was seeing anyone, that would give him a heart attack and end his life, so he had to wonder: why the silence? And when would he get an answer?

 

But he was willing to wait, he would take it one step at a time

Kei was worth the wait.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys.  
> So this chapter is kinda really long, the thing is it was supposed be two chapters but as I was about to start typing I thought I'd just wrap them all in one.
> 
> I tried to do some hard core editing and intense summarising as I typed and this is the end result.   
> Still long though.
> 
> Anyway, please forgive any errors or inaccuracies in this chapter, I added some parts as I typed so I obviously had no time to proofread, re edit or anything. 
> 
> Have fun reading

Kei was just rounding up a sketch when his phone rang, the caller I.D said Tetsuro, he looked at his watch and saw that he was 20 minutes early. He had been in the office for five hours now and had just finished sewing some complicated outfit he'd designed before he started sketching; he was tired and his neck hurt.

 

He looked over at Yu who was busy on the big couch with his toys, Koshi and Terushima, they were the only ones in the room with him. It was a Saturday, very few people came to the office; they preferred to work from home

 

" you're early "

" I guess I am, didn't want to keep you waiting. Anyway I'm downstairs now, should I come inside? "

" yes, please wait at the lobby "

 

He excused himself and went downstairs to see the other man waiting by the chairs kept at the foyer. He was wearing slim black jeans ripped at the knees, black hi-tops, white tees and a fawn colored sweater hung on his shoulders. He gave Kei a smile when he saw him

" hi "

" hey. Lets go up, I'll soon be done "

 

They got into the room and Yu let out an excited squeal when he saw Tetsuro, giving him a hug tight enough to snap his neck and then scooted over on the couch asking him to sit beside him and play with his "dine-sore" (dinosaur). Kei introduced him to Koshi and Terushima who were glad to finally meet him, especially Terushima (wait til the other guys hear I met your boyfriend!) and went to round up his work.

 

Tetsuro watched Kei work. Kei wore gray tees, olive green chinos slim enough to accentuate those legs that seemed to go on forever and a pair of classic sneakers. A watch and about two bracelets adorned his left wrist; his earphones were around his neck and he worked with a kind of focus and effortless grace that made Tetsuro not want to take his eyes off him. He watched the elegant strokes Kei's fingers made as he made brushes on the pad, the way he cocked his head to the side when trying to look at what he'd done, the way his skinny body moved to get the right angle and wondered what made him think he could live without the blond. He had been young and plain foolish. His gaze moved to Kei's finger and wished he could put a ring on it, finally being able to claim him as his; he knew without doubt that if he hadn't ended it two years ago, his ring would have been on that finger.

 

" wanna go to daddy "

" huh? "

" daddy " Yu replied while pointing at Kei

" you want to go to him? "

 

Yu nodded. Tetsuro picked him up and walked to Kei

 

" can't stay a minute without me? " Kei asked without looking up 

" nope, I'm hooked "

 

Kei chuckled as he looked up and at Yu 

" hey buddy "

 

Yu gave him a heart melting smile before leaning in and giving him a kiss, he turned to Tetsuro and did the same. The air between both men suddenly shifted and grew thicker, it felt like something electric had come to life and was growing stronger. This very innocent gesture of a child spoke volumes by way of a reminder to both men of that elephant in the room, the issue that they'd both been dancing around and the undeniable current lurking in the background. Kei was reminded of Tetsuro's proposal, the same proposal he'd tried not to think about and the fact that he'd chosen to hide rather than face his feelings. They locked eyes and he knew their minds had gone in the same direction. 

 

Yu, oblivious to what he had caused, started to sing.

 

***

 

" I'm done, let's go "

Kei had approached silently and as he spoke, everyone jumped 

 

" the hell man?! Do you float or something? " Terushima asked with irritation obviously meant to hide his shock 

" not my fault you're scared "

" are not "

" are too. We're leaving "

" are not and good riddance " he replied good naturedly before letting out a chuckle, his studs glinting under the light

" man the other guys are gonna be freaked when I tell them I met your boyfriend "

 

Tetsuro was surprised that Kei had not corrected the other man's misconception of him being his boyfriend, Kei simply snorted and made a sarcastic comment. He was still pondering on this when he felt a sharp pain in his head

 

" god dammit! "

 

Everyone turned towards the source of this sudden outburst to see Yu holding on tightly to and yanking hard on Tetsuro's hair with a smile on his beautiful face. He was not letting up despite the man's struggles

 

" oh God, please get him off "

" language, Tetsuro. And God didn't put him there, get him off yourself "

 

This got Terushima laughing hard as Tetsuro glared at him and was about to say something when Kei pushed him to the door

 

" see you around. Oh, and Terushima? "

" yeah? "

" are too "

 

He closed the door to Terushima's 'dammit' as he smirked before walking to join the other two.

 

***

 

Yu was very excited about going 'to see the the fishes' with 'daddy and Turo' and made sure to stare at the different sea creatures for so long Kei felt himself age. Yu squealed at every one of the animals they saw and Tetsuro was not helping at all; he joined in staring wide eyed at them, gasping and giggling which in turn seemed to fuel the boy's excitement. He had even pressed his face against the glass just as the Yu did which made Kei laugh despite himself. So this was what it felt like to have two kids? They made an adorable picture though and Kei took a shot with his phone, gotta save the moment he thought with a smirk.

 

" hurry up daddy! "

" yeah hurry up Kei "

" they're not running away, I'm not going to miss anything " he answered but he still let the duo drag him forward

 

They got to the sharks and Yu was asking Tetsuro want they were when one of them swam forward very quickly, hitting hard against the glass while glaring directly at Yu. The child screamed and grabbed on to Tetsuro's leg while the man quickly lifted his son and tried to calm him as they backed away towards the octopus.

 

Kei watched Tetsuro coo Yu, whispering words he couldn't hear but which obviously helped calm him as the boy's breathing began to return to normal while he released his tight hold on Tetsuro's neck before looking at the man with a smile. The scene stopped Kei in his tracks, it warmed him inside and he felt himself become wistful; Tetsuro would be a great dad, he was good with Yu and was instinctively protective of him. That was a part of the alpha he had never seen before and he knew they would have been a happy family if not for the unfortunate past.

 

A thought came unbidden: they could still be if Kei let it happen. He thought of that afternoon over two weeks ago when Tetsuro had told him he still wanted him, where he had asked for a second chance and told him he wanted them to become a family. Could he do this? Let himself go again? Was he ready for something so big? His musing was interrupted by the man he was thinking about 

 

" hey " 

Kei blinked and realised he had been staring, he looked away to hide his blush and walked up to join them.

 

Tetsuro still held Yu as they moved to the ray fish. Kei had been quiet since the scare and Tetsuro didn't like it, he moved closer to Kei and softly spoke to him

 

" it's ok, Kei. Yu is fine. Besides these are very strong glasses, they don't just break "

 

At first Kei was confused until he realised Tetsuro thought the shark incident was what bothered him. He opened his mouth to deny it but decided against it

 

" sure. Thanks "

 

He turned back to look at the fish when he felt a hand on his waist and felt an accompanying jolt, he stiffened and felt the hand quickly withdraw with a murmured apology. Kei's heart was pounding, what was that spark just now? 

 

Tetsuro didn't know what made him think it was ok to touch Kei but he didn't like how quiet and withdrawn he was, Kei looked worried and he just wanted to reassure him. As soon as he had touched him though, he'd felt a kind of spark and something had jolted deep in his stomach, a feeling of nostalgia and longing. He wanted to pull Kei closer but he had felt the other man stiffen and he began to panic: had he gone too far? Did he cross a line? He quickly took off his hand and apologised. He didn't want to scare Kei or make him feel uncomfortable. He missed those times he could just hold Kei, feeling his warmth and knowing he was right there; he had missed the feel of the blond's skin and wished they could just go back to those times where physical contact was not weird.

 

But it was no one's fault, he chided, no one else's but yours

 

***

 

3 hours later they were done with their tour and Yu said he was hungry so they walked to the burger place across the street and took a seat outside. Yu had insisted on sitting on Tetsuro's laps while they ate and the man happily obliged, he was glad Yu liked to be close to him but he had to wonder about Kei. Kei seemed to have gotten even quieter and more reserved after he had touched him; he wondered what was going through the younger man's mind.

 

" Kei are you alright? "

" hmm? Yeah. Just tired "

 

Tetsuro nodded. Kei was a very introverted person and usually felt tired after being in a crowd for very long. He doubted that was all that was on Kei's mind but decided not to push it

 

" sorry we took too long, I'll take you guys home as soon as we're done eating "

" no need to apologise, that child has so much energy he could stay there all day "

 

Kei looked at him thoughtfully before saying accusingly

 

" actually you should apologise, he got that infinite energy from you "

 

Tetsuro threw back his head and laughed but not before Kei saw his ears redden 

" I'm glad I could pass on one of my finest qualities to my son "

Kei snorted

" one day, I'll lock you two in a room and throw away the keys "

 

The other man laughed at this, he would love that though 

 

" you know, you two haven't been to my place. You could come over sometime, spend the day with me and all that " 

 

He was fidgeting and Kei could see how nervous he was

 

" do you intend cooking for us? Cause if that's the case I think we'll pass "

 

He watched Tetsuro's face relax as he laughed

 

" cook? No way. Don't wanna poison my son before I even know him, nope. We'll order pizza "

Kei smiled

" if you intend having Yu over for a night or two, you have got to learn to cook something. Maybe even take cooking classes "

 

There he'd said it, he was letting Tetsuro know that soon enough he'll be comfortable enough to leave Yu in his care; he saw the change in his companions eyes as he realised what Kei had just said and knew he would not regret his decision

 

" I'll ask Keiji to teach me and I'll only watch the food channel from now on. Hell I'll hire a chef if I have to "

His heart was going to burst from all that happiness and he did not try to hide it

" thank you Kei "

 

Kei shrugged and looked at Yu, he was doing this for his son

 

" Tetsuro watch out! "

 

But it was too late. They both watched as Yu wiped his sauce stained hands on Tetsuro's white tee. How Yu managed to drench his hands in sauce was a mystery but the horrified look on the face of the dark haired man was priceless. Kei took a picture of them as he laughed, today was truly a good day.

 

***

 

" bro what happened to your shirt? "

 

Tetsuro had forgotten the state of his shirt and had gone to see Kotaro and keiji at their place, he needed Keiji's help 

 

" oh this? Yu did that. Keiji--"

" you hung out with Yu? " Kotaro interrupted 

" yeah, Kei and I took him to the aquarium"

" oh man, and you didn't invite me? " he asked with a pout

" Kotaro" Keiji said in a soothing voice "Tetsuro is still trying to work things out, for now they need time alone. I'm sure we'll get to meet him soon "

 

Thank God for Keiji, he could handle his boyfriend's many moods

 

" yeah. I promise, when Kei beings him for a sleepover I'll invite you "

 

Keiji narrowed his eyes 

" Kei said that? "

" uh huh " hs answered, taking a bite of Kotaro's homemade hotdog

" so I take it things are going well? " 

" kinda, I mean it's way better than I expected. Took me by surprise too. I think Kei is trying his best to be supportive "

" has he said anything to you about, you know, has he given you an answer yet? "

" not yet. He hasn't even brought it up and I'm pretty sure he'd avoid the topic if I bring it up. I don't think he trusts me enough yet " he said sadly, remembering Kei's reaction when he touched him

" it takes time to heal. But from all you've been telling us I think everything will be fine in the end "

 

Tetsuro looked at him hopefully

" you really think so? "

" I do. Just go at his pace "

" I intend to "

" Tetsuro! You bastard, you ate all all my hotdog. Keiji please can I --"

" no, I'm not sharing mine with you ". He turned to Tetsuro 

" when is this sleepover? "

" dunno yet. Which reminds me, Keiji, man you gotta teach me how to cook "

 

This shocked him as his friend never showed any interest in learning to cook. He only ever made sandwiches and other light stuffs but that was it

" really? "

" yeah. I want to cook him a real meal when he comes "

" ok so what do you want to learn? "

" rice.. Umm.. Fried rice and maybe those amazing pork buns you make? Keiji, teach me everything you know "

 

His friend laughed

" that's alot. Ok lets do spaghetti and meatballs tonight"

" awesome "

" Kotaro could you please... What the hell? You still ate it! "

 

Keiji went after the retreating man

" get back here Kotaro "

" never! "

 

***

 

Yu had fallen asleep on the couch while watching Frozen, Kei took him to his room while thinking of Tetsuro's offer to host them and when to take him up on it; he seemed sincere enough about it and Kei had no doubt Yu would love it, he'd taken a serious liking to Tetsuro. 

So maybe Friday? He'll have to ask him what his schedule was like and it'll have to be when Kei was not so busy with work. Or maybe Saturday? He sighed, he'll have to think about it later, right now he had work to do.

He thought about the day in general and realised he'd enjoyed every moment with those two. 

God, he could only pray he wasn't wrong about this. He prayed he hadn't been wrong about Tetsuro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I forget to thank you all for your comments and kudos? *gasps* I did? My bad  
> Thank you all so so much, I feel really encouraged and I mean it. You guys are awesome. Thank you 
> 
>  
> 
> P.s : I have never been to Tokyo, I have no idea if they've got an aquarium and if they do, what sort of sea animals they have.


	11. Chapter 11

It was just 9 o'clock on Monday morning and Kei was already chin deep in work. They had multiple appointments from some clients who had been invited to attend fashion week in the big four : New York, Milan, Paris and London, their tour was to begin in 3 weeks. They had hired House of Ukai to make a large number of customized outfits using the same outfits to make a perfect capsule wardrobe for their trip. The fit models had already arrived for their measurements to be taken, Kei had a number of his and Keishin's designs to sew and they had been hired to do a magazine ad themed around Alice in Wonderland. Kei was to work with Hitoka, Shoyo and Kiyoko on that one and in a few hours he would have to go pick Yu from school. 

 

At 12, Kei was so sure he wouldn't be able to make it to the school and even if he could, who would keep an eye on Yu while he worked? He decided to call Tetsuro 

 

" hello " came the happy voice on the other end

" Tetsuro hi. Are you busy? "

" umm no, why? "

" are you at work? "

" no I'm working from home today. Why? "

" well the thing is I've got so much work to do today and I can't pick Yu and even I did I can't leave him here cause I won't be able to keep an eye on him and there's no one who'll be able to babysit cause they're also busy and --"

" Kei? " Tetsuro interrupted his monologue  
" I'll pick him. You can come get him when you're done or I could bring him over

" you're sure it's not too much trouble? "

" he's my son, of course I don't mind " 

" thank you so much. I'm so sorry to impose--"

" Kei? I would love to have him here with me so it's no worry. And no need to thank me " he patiently explained

" yeah well thanks all the same. He likes to do his homework before lunch and likes to eat an apple while at it so if you please get him one. He usually has a nap after lunch. Please don't go him too much sugar. If--"

" Kei? " Tetsuro said with a chuckle  
" I've got this "

Kei released a breath

" ok. I'll be back as soon as I can " 

" take your time, ok? I'll send you the address "

" ok. Look if he gets too much for you to handle just call me-- "

Tetsuro interrupted him again

" Kei it's fine "

" alright. So umm.. See ya "

" yeah. Bye "

 

Tetsuro ended the call with a huge smile. Not only was he going to pick his son, he got to babysit him for the very first time. He was glad Kei was trusted him enough to let him do this and chuckled at his mother hen attitude. Was that an extra package that came along with kids? He mentally thought of the things he could use to entertain a two year old and what they'll have for lunch as he began to change his clothes.

 

***

 

The buzzer went off and Tetsuro looked at the clock on his laptop screen, 9:37pm. He has been working on a case for a while now, Yu was asleep for over an hour now and Kei was not back yet. He opened the door to a very tired looking Kei leaning against the doorframe, clutching his bag to his side. Tetsuro quickly let him in with a worried expression 

 

" hi. Sorry I'm late, we had so much to do today " he said as he flung himself on the couch

" it's fine. You look really beat, would too like something to eat or drink? "

" no thanks, we ate before leaving. Yu? "

" asleep in my bedroom "

" I hope he didn't bother you too much? "

" nah, we had fun actually " he smiled widely as he remembered the time they'd spent together

" you two in the same room, I can only imagine "

 

Tetsuro laughed. Yes, they had been total goofballs today and he had enjoyed every second of it. Yu had at some point bathed himself in icecream, screaming when the cold substance flowed down his head to his back. Tetsuro had rushed from the room and when he saw his son in that state, couldn't hold in his laughter as he quickly took him to his bathroom and gave him a hot shower.

 

" can I see him? "

" sure"

 

He showed Kei the bedroom and watched as Kei gently touched the cheek of the sleeping child before he went back to the parlor. 15 minutes passed and Kei still hadn't come out, he went to check on him only to find Kei curled beside Yu, fast asleep. He watched the duo for a while longer than he intended.

 

Kei looked so beautiful sleeping. He remembered how he used to watch Kei sleep for hours before going to bed himself, he had always loved to watch the rise and fall of Kei's chest as he breathed. He found that he once again ached for the feel of the younger man beside him. His gaze moved to Yu. His son had a small smile on his face, probably a dream, and this in turn made Tetsuro smile. Yu had long limbs, just like Kei's, which made him taller than his two years, he was lanky like his daddy too. He looked like a little cupid while asleep as the lopsided smile and mischievous glint he always sported in his eyes were gone. Watching them, he fell in love anew and his heart once again ached for the life he'd thrown away but which fate had mercifully given him an opportunity to have again. He thanked the gods of second chances and told himself he'll do anything to have more of these precious moments. 

 

He took off Kei's glasses, covered him also and switched off the light.

 

***

 

Kei opened his eyes and put on his glasses. He looked at the clock on the wall facing him directly. 6:02am. His body had gotten used to getting up so early.

 

He was in a strange place, Yu was fast asleep beside him and try as he might, he couldn't remember where he was. He tried to recall last night's events and it slowly started to come back to him. He didn't remember falling asleep, he had only wanted to check Yu but his body began to protest and he thought he'd just lie for a bit. That was probably when he had slept off. He quietly got out of bed, went to the bathroom to empty his bladder before leaving the room.

 

The smell of fresh coffee led him to the kitchen. Tetsuro was standing barefooted, making sandwiches and was on the phone. Kei watched lean muscles flex under his tank top and joggers, he found himself admiring his tattoos and wishing he could touch them. Kei felt a tug in his pants. Ok get a grip you perv.

 

" morning, Kei " he greeted when his call ended

" good morning "

" hope you rested well "

" yes I did. I didn't mean to fall asleep, sorry for the inconvenience "

" you have to stop apologising, ok? I don't mind that you both slept here " Tetsuro said seriously   
" it feels great to know you were comfortable enough to sleep in my bed. Breakfast is ready "

 

Kei accepted the plate hed been offered and took a sip of his coffee, noting that Tetsuro had made it just as he liked it : Black with two sugars. He mumbled a thank you as the other man took the seat beside him.

 

" what time are you supposed to be at the office? "

" 10. Keishin, my boss, said we could take an extra hour and a half today "

" thoughtful of him. You're not pushing yourself too much are you? " he was a little worried, Kei had always been quite the fragile omega

" not really. We just have alot to do now but things will settle after the event ". The concern in the other man's voice touched him

" I just don't want you to have a breakdown "

" I won't, thank you "

 

They kept staring at each other for no apparent reason. Maybe it was the proximity or perhaps his brain hadn't properly woken up but Tetsuro felt lost in those honey colored eyes staring back at him with an earnest expression. He felt like he was drowning in the emotions he saw swirling in them and he somehow felt like he was being pulled in, he was ready to get lost in the maze of emotions there. His gaze slid lower and he saw that Kei's lips were parted a little and were moist; he had missed those lips and often wondered if they still tasted the same. He moved closer until their lips were a mere inches apart before he saw Kei blink rapidly as though trying to clear his head

 

" thank you for breakfast " he whispered

Tetsuro nodded and pulled back a bit

" anytime "

 

Kei got up, taking his empty plate to the sink as Tetsuro watched his back. He knew that Kei had felt the pull too he had seen the need in his eyes and wondered how long Kei had been feeling this way. Tetsuro felt a hunger deep inside of him and knew that only Kei could satisfy it. He wanted Kei.

 

He tried not to move, he really did, but his body overrode his brain and soon he was standing behind Kei. He slipped his hands around his slim waist, pulling him backwards until their bodies joined. He felt Kei's heart pound as he brought his mouth to the back of his neck, placing a kiss there. His mouth moved to the crook of his neck, Kei's head bent slightly to the side, giving better access; he gently nipped on his neck before kissing it. He ran his tongue across the spot and heard Kei's soft whimper.

 

He turned Kei so that they were facing each other. He brought his lips to Kei's, hesitating a bit but Kei didn't move away. Instead, he licked his lips leaving them a little parted. Tetsuro followed the movement and felt his groin jerk. He wrapped a hand around the other man's chin and when Kei's lips parted even more, he closed the distance between them. At first, the kiss was light as he took his time to savour the taste of Kei's lips, they tasted like coffee and something else, something sweet. He deepened the kiss and the blond responded, wrapping his arms around Tetsuro's neck; they kissed with so much fervor and passion as though trying to make up for the two years they'd lost. 

 

Kei moaned and the sound broke loose something inside of Tetsuro, it was like all of the need he had tried to suppress these five weeks came rushing to the surface hard and fast. He grabbed Kei's ass and lifted him as the blond wrapped long legs around his waist. He put Kei on the table, letting his hands roam up his pale smooth back. Kei's legs were still around him as the man drew even closer. Tetsuro wanted to communicate his feelings through that kiss, he wanted Kei to know all that he had felt and all he was feeling. He might have lost all control of himself if he hadn't heard the small cry, Kei must have heard it too seeing as he jerked.

 

Kei heard the little cry from far away, it felt like it was coming from someplace distant. It sounded kind of familiar but his brain couldn't register it. Then suddenly it came to him and he jerked in shock. Yu.

 

His sudden movement broke their kiss as he struggled to clear his head and get his bearings. Yu's voice sounded like it was coming from the bedroom so he got off the table and headed in that direction without looking back even though he knew Tetsuro was following. What had he been thinking kissing Tetsuro like he didn't have a care in the world? It was not right for goodness's sake, it would further complicate things and the last thing he needed in his life right now were more complications. 

 

He groaned inwardly as he reached his destination. His son was standing at the foot of the bed and crying, obviously scared to find himself in a strange place with no familiar face around. He knelt in front of the boy and gathered him in his arms

 

" hey baby, I'm here. Don't cry "

The boy hiccupped as his tears flowed increased

" shhh I'm here. Please don't cry, I'm sorry "

 

Tetsuro watched Kei coo the weeping boy and felt a pang of guilt. If he hadn't kissed Kei, they would have heard when Yu first called out, he wouldn't have gotten so scared and cried this much. He wanted to hold them both and apologise, he wanted comfort them and let them know he was here. But he didn't. He understood the omega-pup moment and didn't want to intrude. Soon Yu quieted

 

" morning daddy"

" morning love. Did you sleep well? "

" uh huh " came the sniffled reply. Then seeing Tetsuro he offered a smile

" morning Turo "

His heart warmed at the greeting

" good morning little man. Enjoyed your sleep? "

" yes. Hungry " the said said wrinkling his nose. 

 

Tetsuro walked behind the both of them as they made their way to the kitchen. He squeezed fresh orange juice for his son as Kei fed him. He noticed that Kei was avoiding his gaze at all costs. He wanted to apologise to him but Kei was not giving him the chance to. This was not how he'd pictured this morning would go.

 

" we'll be leaving now, thank you for your hospitality "

" Kei please look at me " he pleaded but the other man was having none of that. He focused on the numbers displayed on the microwave

" let me see you to your car "

 

Tetsuro was sad and Kei knew he wanted to apologise but he did not want to talk about it right now, all he wanted to do was escape. When they got to the lot, he murmured another thank you and a quick goodbye while Yu hugged Tetsuro before driving off. He hurriedly bathed Yu and packed his lunch before having a rushed shower himself. Just shut it out, don't think about it. Forget it happened

 

It was easier said than done.

 

***

 

Kei didn't pick any of Tetsuro's many calls all through the day and only texted to tell him he'll get Yu himself. He buried himself in work and left earlier than usual, he would finish work from home today. He was being selfish, he knew, but he couldn't face Tetsuro now. He felt his eyes water, stupid stupid

 

Tetsuro was worried. He didn't know what to do, Kei wasn't picking or returning his calls and texted to only tell him not to bother, he'll get Yu himself. Shit! This was not how it was supposed to happen. Oh God, what if he had ruined his chances? Why did he have that awesome ability to just ruin things without even trying?

 

He thought of going to Kei's apartment but thought better of it, Kei needed space. Instead, he dialled the only other person he needed now

 

" Tetsuro "

" hey Kenma. What's up? Are you free for lunch? "

" kinda. I'm closing early today "

He already felt a bit calm hearing his best friend's quiet voice

" can you come spend the night? "

" what did you do this time? "

" can't I spend some quality time with my best friend? "

" is this about Kei? "

The silence on the other end was enough

" shit. I swear to God Tetsuro if you've done something to him... Give me a few hours "

 

6 hours later...

 

"... and he took off like death was on his tail "

 

Kenma looked at his childhood friend. How can someone so old be so stupid and make so many mistakes relating to the same thing?

 

" you're a moron "

" I know, but you love me all the same " he replied dryly

" you haven't fully earned Kei's trust yet you do something like this? What were you thinking? "

" I wasn't thinking, I just acted. It was like my body had a mind of its own "

" and now he's not talking to you"

" now he's not talking to me "

" give him time, he'll talk when he's ready. Right now he's still trying to sought out his feelings "

" what? Kenma I wait six hours for you and this is all you say? I thought I'd get some hardcore sage wisdom "

" nope this is all you get. Now go make me a sandwich"


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. So this chapter is 98% filler, please forgive me. It just seemed like what could logically happen in the circumstance

It was Friday and Kei knew he would have to work late, again. That week had been one of the most difficult for him; he still hadn't contacted Tetsuro so he'd had to pick Yu himself and look after him as he worked. Sometimes a colleague would take the boy to their office and keep an eye on him while they worked and one time, Keishin had kept Yu in his office and babysat as he waited for Ittetsu, his partner, to come. Keishin had forgotten some files at home and asked Ittetsu to bring them over. Ittetsu was a calm omega who looked so much younger than his age, he was a direct opposite of Keishin in every way. He was a novelist so he spent most days working from home. When Ittestsu was leaving, he had offered to take Yu along with him and Kei could come get him after work. Kei had agreed. 

 

Today though, he knew he had to ask Tetsuro to help. He knew it wasn't fair, he had ignored the man all week when, truth be told, he was not the only one at fault after all Kei had kissed him back hadn't he? He was hiding from the truth, afraid to face his feelings. He knew what his heart wanted but he was afraid of what could happen. He took a deep breath, he'll just text him.

 

Tetsuro was lying on his stomach on the floor of Kenma's parlor as they played a video game. Today kenma had closed really early and Tetsuro had given himself a day off work. Kei still hadn't called or anything and that worried him. He really needed to talk to him about what happened but the blond had chosen to remain silent. He told himself it was because Kei was busy even though he knew that was a big fat lie. 

 

" stop thinking about Kei, he'll call you when he's ready to "

" who says I was thinking about him? " he murmured petulantly

" I already told you, he's trying to sought out his feelings. He's had to make some pretty difficult decisions in the past month and a half while still having to focus on work and parenting, so excuse him if he feels stressed. Give him a break "

 

Tetsuro knew he friend was right. Had he been too pushy? He had tried to be understanding about everything, maybe he got impatient and went too fast? He groaned out loud in frustration. Just when he thought everything was going well. His phone buzzed and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Kei's name. Kei asked if he could please drop by the office and pick Yu cause he had alot to do and may probably have to work late again. He felt relieved, like a heavy weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. He typed a quick response while asking Kenma to come with him.

 

He drove home, threw on a navy blue shirt, tan shorts and carmel slippers. When they got to the fashion house, it was all he could do not to run in. 

 

" wow Kei works here? " Kenma asked as they walked in, clearly impressed

" yep 7 months now " Tetsuro answered proudly. Kei had told them where to find him and following the direction, they walked down the corridor, checking room numbers and walked in when they found the right room. The room was large with lots of tables work tables and machines all around. It's occupants trotted about in a whirl of activities, everyone seemed busy doing one thing or the other.

 

They found Kei standing in a corner looking through some magazines. He wore simple white tees with the image of a pterodactyl on it, ripped jeans, a red and black flannel shirt loosely tied around his waist and sneakers. He looked tired and his hair looked like he had been running his hands repeatedly through it. A tape hung on his neck and he seemed to be working with three other people: a skinny, smallish orange haired guy, a small blond and a dark haired woman on glasses. They walked towards him and noticed the four of them were looking through a bunch of vogue Japan issues

 

" Kei? "

 

He turned and Tetsuro really got to see how tired and stressed he was, he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. He didn't even realise he had moved but somehow he was at Kei's side, pulling him into a hug. He was surprised when Kei didn't push him away, instead he leaned into him. 

 

Kei allowed himself get pulled into those arms he'd longed for all week. Tetsuro smelled so good and Kei breathed in his scent deeper like he was memorising it. He wanted to remain there forever but he was in the office so he reluctantly pulled away, he had already given his shamlessly gawking colleagues an eye full 

 

" hey. Thanks for coming " he whispered softly  
" I'm sorry "

" it's ok, we'll talk about that later " Tetsuro replied equally softly, he understood what the apology was for 

" I brought Kenma. You remember him right? "

 

That was when Kei noticed the small man beside Tetsuro. Kenma still bleached his hair blond leaving about three inches from his roots

 

" hi Kei, its been a long time "

Kei nodded

" it has "

" oi Kei! " the orange haired guy shouted  
" that's your boyfriend, isn't it? Yu looks so much like him "

 

Kei sighed, turning towards the guy that spoke

" meet Shoyo, Hitoka and Kiyoko. Guys meet Tetsuro and Kenma "

 

Tetsuro once again noticed how Kei had not denied the misconception that they were boyfriends and chose to say nothing either. 

 

" Yu's with Koshi in the other room "

 

As they made to move to the door, Tetsuro noticed that Kenma had not moved, his eyes were fixed on Shoyo. He had on the same expression he usually does when he gets a new game he was yet to try, Kenma was interested. 

 

" do you want to go talk to him? I'll wait "

Kenma started fixedly at the guy for a while longer before answering

" he's busy right now. Maybe some other time "

 

Tetsuro started at kenma as they walked to the door. This was the first time his friend had shown any form of romantic interest in anyone which was quite weird for an alpha. Kenma wanted Shoyo and Tetsuro was sure as hell going to make sure he got the tiny omega. 

 

***

 

" Turo! "

Yu screamed as he ran towards Tetsuro. The man flung his son high before bringing him down for a hug, he'd missed the little guy and from all indication the feeling was mutual. The boy held on to his neck as he rattled off some gibberish-english words while giving Tetsuro a huge smile then giving him another tight hug. His heart warmed, then melted at this show of affection. Yu peered over his shoulder at Kenma who returned the stare. 

 

Kenma had watched the scene with interest and had seen absolute adoration in his friend's eyes. The boy obviously felt the same and Kenma felt happy for Tetsuro, praying he didn't ruin it again

 

" Yu, this is uncle Kenma "

" uncle Kemma " Yu repeated with a proud smile

" hey, how are you? "

" fine " he answered still smiling. Kenma stared at the boy, he was tall for a two year old. He felt like he was looking at a two year old Tetsuro with golden eyes. 

 

Tetsuro thanked Koshi for taking care of Yu and got introduced to three other guys working on some amazing looking boots. They were in their way to the elevator when an excited call drew their attention

 

" Tetsuro! Hey man "

 

They turned to see Terushima barrelling towards them with a huge smile on his face. Kei groaned, not now please, he groaned inwardly while Tetsuro was all smiles

 

" dude! How are ya?! "

 

They bantered for a bit before Terushima dragged him to meet the other guys in room 40. Kei and Kenma had no choice but to follow. They entered the rowdy room and Kenma was surprised to see there were only four guys in the room, how would four people make so much noise? Too many alphas in the same room, he mused

 

" guys " Terushima shouted to be heard above the noise  
" meet Tetsuro, Kei's boyfriend "

 

A hush fell as the other guys crowded around them. Terushima made the introductions

 

" this is Yu " he pointed towards a small wild looking guy with a small portion of his front hair dyed blond  
" he's your son's namesake "

" amazing discovery " Kei said sarcastically

" Takerora " ( holy shit man! )

" language" Kei automatically replied

" Ryu" ( fucking love your tattoos )

" language Ryu " Kei said again

" Tobio " ( sipping on a carton of milk while giving a nasty glare )

" nice to meet you all, this is my friend Kenma "

" what's all that noise dammit?! "

 

Keishin stood at the door, holding a briefcase, obviously just coming to work. He was staring daggers at his employees and Tetsuro could feel the fear the guys began to give off. Apparently they were scared of their boss but that wasn't surprising, the man had an intimidating presence 

 

" we just met Kei's boyfriend " the older Yu stammered in a small voice, pointing at Tetsuro while taking a step back 

" huh? " Keishin stared at Tetsuro, clearly taken aback

 

Tetsuro stared back at the man open mouthed. This was Kei's boss? The owner of House of Ukai? Holy shit! The man before him looked so unprofessional it was amazing. No wonder everyone's style was just as laid back. The man had dyed blond hair held back by a band, double piercing on his left lobe and the edges of his brows were fashionably shaved. He wore white tees, jeans ripped at the knees, white sneakers and carmel coat. 

 

" I'm Keishin, nice to meet you "

Tetsuro smiled 

" Tetsuro. Same here "

" so you're a ... "

" lawyer "

The other guys gasped. Keishin looked impressed

" never met a lawyer like you " he said with a smile. They made small talk for a little while before he excused himself

" gotta go now, lots of work to do. Nice meeting you Tetsuro and Kenma. Great tattoos by the way "

Then turning a stern eye on the photographers

" if I have to come down here today, you'll have kitchen duty for a week "

 

He walked away to groans of 'oh man' and 'dammit' and 'shit' and 'language'. They said their goodbyes to the guys' invitations to 'hang out sometime'. He chuckled as they neared the elevator

 

" your colleagues are something. And your boss, man. I'm surprised he hasn't been snagged by one of the guys or ladies "

" actually he's married with two kids "

" what? God he's hot "

Kei smirked

" say Kei, is being hot and beautiful a criteria to work here? Cause I could totally apply "

Kei let out a laugh

" you'll definitely be in room 40 "

" totally " Kenma mumbled his assent

 

They stood by the elevator

" thanks for this " Kei almost whispered

" it's fine " Tetsuro said in the same tone. He gently ran a finger along Kei's cheek, Kei closed his eyes at the contact. 

" rest when you feel tired, ok? "

" mmn " Kei opened his eyes and looked at Kenma

" nice seeing you again Kenma "

" you too. See you around? "

 

Tetsuro watched Kei, that question carried a lot more weight than one would at first realise. Kei's answer right now determined a lot and when Kei nodded, he breathed a sigh of relieve. There was hope still.

 

Kei watched the elevator close. He hadn't realised how much he had missed the other man until he'd seen him today. His feelings were undeniable and standing there he reached a decision. He knew what he would do and he'll make sure to do it soon. 

 

He only hoped it was not going to be a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it was mostly filler


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, we're back again.
> 
> Thank you all for your lovely comments and compliments, much appreciated 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one too

10:05pm his buzzer went off. Tetsuro jerked awake and saw he had fallen asleep with Yu lying on him, the boy's head was on his chest and he had a hand on his son's back, holding him in place. He stood up, carrying the child and went to open the door to a worn and beaten Kei. He stepped aside with a soft 'hey' as Kei came in, they spoke in quiet voices so as not to wake their sleeping son

 

"hey, sorry to bother so late"

" I already told you to stop apologising, I do enjoy doing this"

" we'll be out of your hair in a minute, I just need to catch my breath " he said as he closed his eyes.

 

Tetsuro watched the blond sitting on his couch, he did not want Kei to leave. It was Friday and he knew Kei worked from home most Saturdays, they could just spend the night here and leave tomorrow. It wasn't like Yu had school tomorrow or anything and he did not want Kei driving in his exhausted state. He called out to Kei to tell him this but he didn't get an answer, Kei had fallen asleep. He looked young and so at peace Tetsuro found it difficult to contain his yearning for him. He reached out and pushed the hair away from Kei's forehead and stiffened when the other man twitched slightly. Kei had always been a light and restless sleeper, he often had trouble sleeping even when he was tired and once he woke up at any point, getting back to sleep was difficult. Not wanting to disturb his sleep, Tetsuro reluctantly pulled away. 

 

He took Yu to his bedroom and covered him, placing a kiss on his forehead before going back for Kei. He lifted him, bridal style, noting how light Kei was, too light for his height and age. He would talk to him about his eating habits, kei didn't like eating. He placed him beside Yu, wanting to snuggle up in bed with them but he knew that was overreaching. Instead, he took off Kei's glasses, gave him a light kiss on his forehead and switched off the light.

 

***

 

"hey heyy heyyy!" Kotaro greeted loudly as Tetsuro opened the door, Keiji rolled his eyes and said a quiet good morning before stepping in. It was a little after 9am but Kei and Yu were still asleep and he did not want them disturbed 

 

"shhh keep it down bro, you'll wake them"

" wake who?" He asked just as loudly

"Kei and Yu. They're still sleeping"

 

Keiji couldn't hide his surprise

"Kei slept here?" He didn't know they had progressed this far

"yeah. He worked late last night and fell asleep when he came to pick Yu. Please keep it down, ok bro? I really want him to rest"

"I'm sorry man, I didn't know", Kotaro whispered  
" dude does this mean I finally get to meet him?", he asked wide eyed

Tetsuro gave him a smile

"yep, looks like this is the blessed day"

 

A tiny sneeze drew their attention to a really messy haired little boy, leaning on the archway and rubbing his eyes. The boy perused through the faces staring at him and when his gaze fell on Kotaro, the man let out a gasp. Yu started towards Tetsuro 

 

"bro he's a mini you"

 

Tetsuro beamed at his friend before closing the gap between him and his son. The boy rested his head at the crook of Tetsuro's neck as he was lifted, muttering a quiet good morning while yawning

 

"morning sunshine. Sleep well?"

The boy nodded

"hungry?"

"yes"

 

They all went to the kitchen. Tetsuro placed Yu on the table and got out a box of cereal from the cabinet. His niece loved this brand and when Kei had hinted at letting Yu do a sleepover, he'd gone and gotten all three varieties produced by the same brand. He was glad he did. Kotaro sat in front of Yu obviously awestruck at how much he looked like his friend, he was a beautiful child. The boy looked at the man with strange looking hair and tilted his head to the side, mimicking the movement of an owl. Kotaro did the same, this made Yu laugh which in turn got the man laughing

 

"come on Yu, breakfast"

 

Kotaro scooted to the next chair, letting Tetsuro sit on the one he had just vacated so he could feed his son. He watched Yu eat as he occasionally reached out to grab a lock from his father's hair

 

"Keiji let's have a child"

 

Keiji winced and Tetsuro went into fits of laughter, almost spilling the bowl of cereal

 

"please Keiji? Just look at Yu, he's so cute. I promise I'll be a good father"

"no, that's just not happening"

"please? Yu needs a playmate"

"with you and Tetsuro around, he's got that covered"

 

Tetsuro let out a series of laughter again, this was beyond amusing

 

"good morning"

 

Kei's quiet greeting stunned everyone to silence. He still wore his t-shirt and jeans from yesterday, his hair was quite messy and he was wearing Tetsuro's slippers which was a little too big for him. Tetsuro felt his mouth water

 

"morning daddy"

"hey sleepy head" Kei answered with a smile as Yu giggled

"what are you eating?"

"crunchies" Yu called all cereal crunchies

"keep any for me?"

"uh huh. Share"

"awww" Kotaro exclaimed as he dramatically laid a palm across his heart  
" would you look at that? Keiji we really need to--"

"forget it Kotaro" then turning to Kei he greeted  
" good morning Kei, it's been a long time"

"yeah. How--"

"Kei!" Kotaro rushed to him as though just realising he stood there. He gave Kei a crushing hug while gushing

 

"hey man. So good to see you. You're still so skinny, I think I might break you"

" you're killing me Kotaro"

"oho ho?"

"seriously I can't breathe"

"oho ho ho?"

"bro you've got to let go" Tetsuro could barely get the words out as he was choking on his laughter. Even Keiji couldn't hold in his smile. Kotaro quickly released him

 

"I'm sorry, didn't think it was the hug"

"how could it be? when there's your dazzling person"

"hey!", Kotaro protested "Kei you are still not nice"

 

Keiji sniggered. Kei was being sarcastic which meant he was being himself. At least he didn't make things awkward and Keiji felt it was a good enough step. These two just might work.

 

Tetsuro watched his former lover and his best bro as they bickered, they were acting the same way they did two years ago with each other and this made his heart swell. He was glad for the effortless interaction they were having. He looked at his son, with cereal smeared all over his mouth, Kei and Kotaro who were still bickering and Keiji who returned his look with a small smile. This was home

 

***

 

Kei and Keiji stayed in the kitchen trying to rustle up breakfast while the other men took Yu to the parlor. An excited squeal made them look through the sliding glass connecting the kitchen to the parlor to see Kotaro running around with Yu as Tetsuro laughed at something the other man had said. Keiji saw the satisfaction on his friend's face and knew that he was truly happy. When they were all in the kitchen, he had seen a longing in Tetsuro's eyes whenever he had looked at Kei and Keiji knew that despite the fact that he was happy, Tetsuro needed something more. Something only Kei could give him.

 

"so Kei"

"hmm?"

"do you intend getting back with Tetsuro? He still loves you and I think you feel something for him too"

 

Kei hadn't expected this but he wasn't at all surprised either, Keiji was very good at observations

 

"Kei, he made a terrible mistake but trust me, he spent the better part of those two years regretting it. He never once forgot you nor did he forgive himself for what he'd done, he was so torn up we started to fear he wouldn't recover.

"ever since you came back into his life, there's been a new spark in his eyes. You can see and even taste the difference in him, it's like he literarily glows. Its love, Kei"

 

Kei stared at the object of their discussion, seeing how comfortable and happy he was. He turned back to Keiji 

 

"I wasn't sure at first, but I've thought about it for sometime now and I've made up my mind. I know what to do"

 

Keiji nodded. He understood

 

***

 

They left after breakfast. Kotaro and Tetsuro washed the dishes, the latter was so elated to have finally met Yu and when the boy had called him 'uncle Ko' while referring to Keiji as 'uncle K', he had melted. Kotaro begged Kei to bring Yu over for lunch the next day with Kei saying he would try, no promises. 

 

After they'd left, the three of them sat watching Tangled, Tetsuro had gotten that after Kei had told him it was Yu's favourite. Yu was on the couch facing the tv directly while Kei and Tetsuro sat on the floor adjacent to him. 

 

"Tetsuro, can I talk to you please?"

"sure, what's up?"

"so umm.. Well I've been thinking about what you asked some weeks back"

 

Tetsuro seemed lost

 

"about trying again? You know, second chances and all that?"

"oh"

"so I've been thinking about it, this situation that is, what's fair to Yu and also to me"

 

Kei took a deep breath while Tetsuro held his

 

"I decided we could give it a try again. I might not be how you want me to be at first but I promise I'll try my best to make it work. If you're still interested, that is"

 

Tetsuro let out the breath he had been holding. He couldn't speak at first so he moved closer and gave Kei a tight hug around the waist

 

"thank you, Kei. I still want you. I'm so sorry I messed up and I promise I'll try my best too to make it work. I promise not to hurt you again"

 

He was crying but he didn't mind and from the way Kei's shoulders were shaking, the blond was crying too

 

"shhh. I've got you"

 

He held Kei until he had calmed before wiping the blonds eyes and placing a kiss on his forehead

 

"sorry daddy", Yu said quietly. He looked like he was about to cry too because he thought Kei was hurt. Kei smiled at him

 

"give me a hug?"

 

Yu jumped down from the couch and gave him a tight hug around the neck and a kiss on the lips. He turned to Tetsuro and repeated the same

 

"sorry Turo"

"dad"

 

Tetsuro was surprised

 

"what?"

"Yu, call him dad"

 

Tetsuro felt his heart leap to the moon and back and when Yu said 'dad' with a smile on his cherubic little face, his eyes watered again. He picked up his phone as he sniffled and with a shaky voice announced

 

"I'm gonna call Kotaro... And Kenma" he sniffled again.  
"I'm gonna call the whole fucking world"

 

Kei rolled his eyes although he was secretly pleased. He would let that one go

 

"big baby"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to update at the end of the week. Maybe weekend? Either way, it'll be soon
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading. Seriously, I love you all


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys
> 
> So like I said, here's an update before the start of a new week

On Thursday after work, Tetsuro went over to Kei's. He hadn't seen his boyfriend and his son since Tuesday and he missed them. His boyfriend, he grinned at this, sure had a nice ring to it. He stopped by a bakery on his way and got Kei's favourite dessert, strawberry shortcake, and an icecream for Yu. His son could murder for icecream.

 

Yu was in his playroom while Kei was working in his studio so Tetsuro stood at the partition, in between both rooms, that way he could talk to Kei while watching his son

 

"I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to make Kenma ask that tiny ball of sunshine out"

"he'll have to talk to him to do that Tetsuro"

"why wouldn't he just talk to him?!"

"he's your best friend, you should have an answer for that", Kei replied dryly 

"he's an alpha for Gods sake, why does he have to be so... Yu don't put that in your mouth. Doesn't he want to be happy?"

"I'm sure he's happy the way he is"

"no he isn't" 

"what are you, the other half of him?"

"I'm his best friend, I know things instinctively. Yu I said don't put that in your mouth". Then turning back to Kei  
" maybe you could talk to Shoyo?"

"talk to Shoyo?"

"yeah. Tell him my friend, Kenma, likes him"

"what? No"

"why not?"

"I don't think we should get involved in Kenma's business, he should talk to Shoyo himself"

"Kei you have to learn to stick your nose in other people's business sometimes, it could save their lives"

"for the love of God, Kenma is not dying, neither is Shoyo"

"have a heart Kei"

 

Kei's reply died on his lips as a call from Keishin came in

 

"hello?"

"Kei where are you?", he asked in that authoritative way of his

"I'm home"

"you need to come to the office immediately"

"what?"

"we have a situation and I need you here ASAP"

"yes sir"

 

Kei stared at the phone, it was 6:47pm. What could they possibly need him for by this time?

 

"something wrong?"

"yes. No. I don't know. Keishin asked me to come to the office right now"

"so go, I'll be here when you get back"

"sorry about this"

"no problem at all. You owe me dinner by the way"

"it's ok. Tomorrow I'll make--"

"at a fancy restaurant"

"opportunist", Kei said with a smirk

Tetsuro laughed. He drew closer to Kei, wrapping a hand around his waist, he gave him a deep kiss

 

"drive safe"

 

Kei nodded. He went to pick his keys and was at the door when he heard them 

 

"I swear to God, Yu!". The boy let out a scream followed by footsteps, apparently he was running with his dad at his heels; God alone knew what the child had done. Kei let out a small laugh as he let himself out of the house 

 

***

 

When Kei finally got back in, it was a little after 10. His boss had called in six others: Daichi, Hitoka, Koshi, Kiyoko, Ennoshita and Asahi to tell them that Shiratorizawa had been offered a higher pay by some other designer and had told him that if they didn't increase what they had initially offered to pay, they would accept the rival's offer. They couldn't afford to lose their hairstylists now as the event was due in a little over three weeks. He needed his most level headed employees to join him in brainstorming. Finally, they had reached a decision. They would add some more cash to what was already on ground, this would stretch them thin, but no problem.

 

He let himself in and saw Tetsuro asleep on the couch, he'd obviously slept off waiting for him. He went into Yu's room to check him and saw that the boy was fast asleep, he had always thought that Tetsuro would have problems taking care of the boy and was surprised to see that that was not the case; he had fallen into the father role effortlessly. He went back to the parlor to wake is boyfriend and as he leaned in, he found himself staring at the sleeping man. He was handsome with well defined jaws that Kei had always found super sexy. His gaze moved to his lips, they were full and inviting and he found himself aching to taste them again. He bent his head lower, kissing Tetsuro lightly, they tasted a little like jam and Kei had to wonder if Tetsuro had been licking his jam. He deepened the kiss and heard a low moan, when he opened his eyes, they locked with Tetsuro's and the naked desire he saw there was unmistakable. Tetsuro wanted him too. He leaned in for another kiss and was stopped by hands on his shoulders

 

"are you sure about this?" Tetsuro asked in a voice husky from sleep and need. There was no mistaking the warning behind the question: do you really want to go this far? Because they both knew that this would lead to a deeper phase of their two week old relationship. There would be no going back and there would be no room for regrets. Kei understood this perfectly

 

"yes", he whispered and Tetsuro didn't need any further prompting, he couldn't restrain himself any longer. He placed a palm behind Kei's head, pushed down towards himself and crushed his mouth against Kei's. Kei grabbed on to Tetsuro's shirt in a bid to draw them closer, kissing him like his life depended on it, like it was air and he had been suffocating.

 

Tetsuro placed his hand on Kei's back to hold him as he sat up so that Kei was straddling him. He took off Kei's glasses, resting his hand on Kei's waist as the blond pressed closer. His tongue wandered into his mouth and Kei welcomed the invasion before embarking on one of his own. Tetsuro let his hands wander up pale, smooth back, towards awaiting nipples; he brushed the sides of the hardened nipples and felt Kei shiver. His mouth moved to Kei's neck, he placed a kiss at the spot just below his lobe, locating the erogenous spot there and licking it, thumbs rubbing against the surface of his nipples. Kei moaned, throwing his head back to give Tetsuro better access to his neck.

 

Tetsuro kissed his Adams apple and then grazed just below it, Kei felt something stir deep in his stomach, Tetsuro was awakening a beast that had been asleep for a long long time, it was hungry and it was ready to attack. Kei felt his shirt rise and lifted his hands, the shirt fell as Tetsuro moved in, devouring his nipple. Kei almost screamed at the feel of the other's mouth on him, gently sucking while his fingers fondled the other nipple. He buried his hands in the mass of black hair, his fingers digging into scalp as he drew the head closer. Tetsuro stood up suddenly and Kei instinctively wrapped his legs and arms around him as he took them to his room. He gently laid Kei on the bed, got on top of him and took off his own shirt. He kissed the blond deeply, hands unbuckling his belt; he slipped his hand into Kei's shorts, wrapping a hand around the stiff penis he met. Kei whimpered at the touch, begging for more. His hand moved up and down Kei's length in smooth strokes, alternating between lightly squeezing and rubbing a thumb over it's red, sensitive tip. Kei moaned loudly, it was like bolts of pleasure were being shot from his groin to his lower abdomen and back again, the pressure was becoming too much and Kei felt like he would combust if he did not feel his lover inside him immediately

 

"Te...Tetsu.. Please"

If people died from too much pleasure, he would be drawing his last breath soon

"not yet", the other man replied as he licked his reddened tip before taking Kei into his mouth. He sucked on him while lightly squeezing his balls and then taking Kei deeper in. His tongue flicked back and forth across the tip, sending tingles of pleasure down Kei's toes 

 

"please.. Ca.. can't wait again" he stuttered, trying to pull at his boyfriend

"don't", the older man growled and Kei knew better than to disobey. He was soaking wet and more wetness flowed out as Tetsuro worked him. He whimpered once more as he felt a finger push against his hole

"damn Kei, you're so fucking tight"

Tetsuro knew he couldn't go inside Kei like this, he was too tight and would feel too much pain if he didn't open more

"you have to relax baby, I can't go in like this"

Kei tried to but he was wound up too tight from all that build up, he closed his eyes and tried to think of something, anything at all to make him relax but he was blank. Tetsuro noticed his predicament, he took off his jeans and Kei's, and leaned into him. He nibbled his earlobe before taking it into his mouth and sucking. His finger hovered at the entrance of Kei's opening and as slowly as he could, put it in. He trailed kisses all over the younger man's neck and throat while fingering him. He kissed the blond deeply, thrusting his tongue into his mouth as Kei's tongue responded; he felt him open a bit more and added another finger. He didn't once take his mouth off Kei's or remove his fingers until he felt his fingers move without restraint

"are you safe, love?"

Kei nodded, good. Using his hand, he guided himself to the wet hole and gently pushed in. Just a little went in so he pulled out a bit before going in again, more went in this time, he pulled out a little and kept repeating this process until all of him was in

"I'll move now, ok? Ready?"

At Kei's nod, he moved, slowly at first so his young lover could get used to it; it took all of his willpower to continue at that pace until he felt it was safe to move faster. His pace quickened and Kei moaned louder, holding on tighter. He felt the familiar pressure begin to mount and knew that soon enough he'll need release but he was not going to leave Kei behind, they would get there together. The hand Kei had placed behind his neck tightened, he was going to come soon

"ahhh!"

He kept going, harder, faster, he was pretty close himself. He felt Kei stiffen and heard the soft cry as he came, a few seconds later he came too. The house was quiet except for their heavy breathing, he got down from on top of Kei and held him close as he peppered his lover's forehead with kisses until Kei's breathing returned to normal.

" how long Kei?", he asked softly

"hmm?"

"how long has it been since you last had sex?"

Kei let out a deep breath

"two years"

Tetsuro stared at his boyfriend

"you mean you haven't slept with anyone since...?"

"yes" came the whispered reply 

 

He was stunned. No wonder Kei was that tight, he hadn't had sex since the last time they did two years ago

"why?"

"hmm?", Kei replied sleepily 

"why didn't you sleep with anyone all this time?". Kei was very attractive, both physically and sexually, there was no way he could not have had the opportunity to do so

"no one else I loved enough"

 

Once again the weight of what he had done to Kei came crashing down on him. Kei had loved him and he had stomped on his feelings, he had hurt him so much it was a miracle Kei was able to forgive him. He listened to the quiet breathing of the man he loved as he held him

"I'm sorry", he whispered "I'm so sorry"

He held on tighter, making a silent promise never to let go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter is basically about the first time they have sex since they got back together
> 
> I have never in my entire life written a sex scene so I apologise for any clumsiness or anything else


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I don't even know what this chapter is but I hope it makes sense to you

Kei woke up to a buzzing sound, what tha...? Then he realised it was his phone

"hello?"

"Kei!", Keishin almost screamed "get to the office now!"

Kei looked at the time, 6:18am

"is everything ok?"

"ok? Those fuckers rejected our offer goddammit! That asshole, Wakatoshi, woke me up to tell me the other bloody designer is willing to pay double our counter. The sleazy bastard!"

Kei winced, Keishin could be quite the sailor when pissed

"I'll be there in 20"

Keishin hung up without another word

"well good morning to you too", Kei murmured at the dark screen. He looked at the man still sleeping beside him and blushes slightly when he remembered the previous night; Tetsuro had been very gentle and Kei had not felt an ounce of regret at not having sex those years ago. He wanted to kiss him but feared he'll wake the sleeper so he got out of bed as quietly as he could and went to the bathroom. After brushing, he had a quick bath in the spare bathroom, changed into a chambray shirt, white shorts and brown sandals; dabbed on a little perfume, checked on his son, lasted a post it on the fridge and left the house.

 

Tetsuro woke up and automatically reached beside him only to feel emptiness. He got up when he realised Kei wasn't on the bed and went in search of him. He found the post it in the kitchen: Hey morning. Had to leave, office emergency. Please call when you're up. He dialed Kei's number

"hey"

"hey babe. What's up? Problem?"

"yeah. Our hairstylists cancelled"

"why? Thought the big event was in 3 weeks?"

"it is. They got a better offer. We're about to have a meeting, just waiting for the others"

"ok. Hey can we have lunch?"

"sure, if I can"

"do you think you can bring Shoyo? Its Saturday and Kenma will be free"

Kei chuckled

"you don't let up do you? Fine, I'll try. Is Yu up?"

"not yet. Can I take him out for breakfast?"

"Tetsuro please, make sure he does not take too much sugar, he gets high on the stuff. It's like his energy triples for the whole day and I don't have the strength to handle him"

The older man laughed

"little sugar, got it". He heard a distant 'Keeiiiii' and his boyfriend's 'coming' before Kei got back on the phone 

"gotta go. See ya"

"call me, ok? Bye"

 

***

At 1:30, Kei and Shoyo went to meet Tetsuro at the restaurant. He had texted Kei to tell him where they were and Kei had asked Shoyo to join him, the latter had agreed.

The meeting was finally over after much screaming and cursing which was generally directed at Shiratorizawa, no one minding the fact that the stylists couldn't hear them and probably wouldn't give a damn if they could. The floor had been open and almost everyone had something to say which the others listened to, weighed the pros and cons and after being properly thrashed, moved on to the next. The room was full of everyone's feelings with half the photographers fighting off tears; so they were alphas, but it didn't stop them from having emotions.

Keishin had first suggested they withdraw one slot and add the money to what they'd already offered but everyone had dissented. Truth was, they had put in so much energy and made so much sacrifices that it would be unfair to let their hard work go to waste.  
Shoyo had suggested that the biggest, baddest guys in the House, led by Keishin of course, kidnap Wakatoshi and demand that Shiratorizawa come back and work for them in exchange for their boss. The guys in room 40 enthusiastically agreed to this, they were ready to break bones.  
Koshi suggested that maybe they could switched display day and use some other designer's hairstylists but that wouldn't be possible seeing as no one would want to go earlier or later than they'd planned to.  
Terushima suggested that the models walk with their normal everyday hair, they just had to make sure their hair was properly washed and sprayed. Tempting as this sounded, their hair needed to be dyed and styled a certain way because of the kinds of styles they were working with.

 

In the end, they hadn't gotten a solution or even made a headway so Keishin dispersed them for the day, they were to convene at the office 9 the next day. They arrived and saw that the men had taken a table outside. Tetsuro had Yu sitting on the table in front of him as he watched the boy play with his phone while Kenma was playing a game and holding a conversation with Tetsuro

"hey", Kei greeted as he sat beside his boyfriend, receiving a hug from his son

"hey babe", Tetsuro gave him a peck as Shoyo took the only available seat which was beside Kenma 

"good afternoon", Shoyo greeted

"hey man"

"hi, afternoon", Kenma barely spared him a glance as he responded before looking up sharply, as the face registered, doing a double take. He was surprised to see Shoyo and was undoubtedly frazzled that the orange haired guy had taken a seat beside him.

"Kenma, right? Remember me? I'm Shoyo, we met where I work"

"of course I remember you". Then added in a lower voice "I could never forget you"

Shoyo leaned in

"what? Sorry, didn't get that"

Kenma blushed. The other two were shamelessly watching them with Tetsuro not bothering to hide the smug smile on his face. He turned to Kei, whispering

"we're awesome"

"that we are", Kei said with a nod as they bumped fists under the table. Their meal arrived and they made small talk

"that game seems interesting", Shoyo commented at the game Kenma had put away; the blond had stopped playing when he'd realised it was Shoyo who sat next to him, not that he was making conversation with the omega. He couldn't think of a word to say

"thanks"

"Kenma made that, you know?" Tetsuro piped in when Kenma couldn't seem to say anything else. Gotta boost his boyfriend potential, right? Shoyo's eyes widened

"really?" So cool! Where do you work?"

"umm...Date Tech"

Shoyo was almost screaming

"what?! Oh man, you're a genius"

Kenma's face turned crimson as he looked at his hands, mumbling a thanks

"do you like games?"

"totally. They're the next best thing after photography and pork buns"

"oh. Well... I... Urr.. I have a number of them back at my place, we could play sometime"

"awesome, I'm gonna woop your ass"

Kenma's eyes lit up as he realised Shoyo had just agreed to hang out with him. He looked at his best friend and from the look in Tetsuro's face, knew that he had orchestrated Shoyo being here. Their eyes locked and he conveyed a silent thanks, 'don't mention it' Tetsuro's eyes replied before he spoke up 

"you guys resolve the hairstylist issue?"

"not yet". Kei did not want even want to begin to imagine what would happen if they didn't do so and fast.

"what happened?"

Shoyo began to explain to Kenma the whole business, letting a few curses slip out with Kei automatically interrupting his speech with a 'language' when that happened 

"so now you need a hairstylist", Kenma stated when he was done

"yep"

"do they have to be a well known group?"

"not necessarily", Kei replied "as long as they're good"

"I would recommends my stylists then. I mean they're not big or popular but they're really great at what they do"

Kei and Shoyo looked at Kenma's hair and then at each other 

"do they have enough personnel to handle up to thirty models?" Kei asked

"there's nine of them, plus their boss that is, but they work really fast and like I said, they're very good"

They exchanged glances again

"they're called the Wakutani Cut. I know they'll beat your expectations plus it will be good exposure for them"

They both nodded and Shoyo got out his phone 

"may I please have your number? Just in case our boss agrees to this. That way I'll be able to contact you and we could make arrangements and all"

Kenma smiled shyly, this was going way better than he'd anticipated. He had been thinking of how to go about asking Shoyo for his number, this was a lucky break

"sure"

Tetsuro looked at his boyfriend with a grin on his face and whispered

"crushed it"

Kei gave him an answering grin and they bumped fists again.

***

They stood around the car, waiting for Tetsuro to unlock it when a call drew their attention

"Keeiiiiii!!"

Kei groaned, he'd know that voice anywhere. It had tormented him for quite a while now. Everyone turned to see it's owner and Shoyo sniggered, giving Kei a knowing look

"Toru. Hi"

"hey Kei", he greeted back as he gave Kei a full hug, letting his hands remain on Kei's waist while giving him an appreciative look

"damn you look hot. What are you doing here?"

"lunch"

Toru finally looked at the others 

"hi", he greeted generally. "Shoyo what's up?"

Shoyo smiled

"not a thing". Toru's gaze fell on Tetsuro and his eyes narrowed suspiciously

"never seen you around, who might you be? A friend of Kei's?"

"Kei's boyfriend and the father of his son". He placed emphasis on the 'and', trying to pass along the message to the pretty boy that with Kei, he had double duty. Hands off

"oh". Toru's face fell for a second before it lit up again. He looked the other man up and down as though trying to understand why Kei would pick the man with messy black hair over him before saying accusingly

"your skin is tanned"

"that it is". Tetsuro answered icily as his eyes fell on the hands still resting on Kei's waist

"but I like Kei's better. So pale like porcelain and smooth like caramel" he licked his lips while looking Kei directly in the eyes, tightening his hold on his thin waist  
"yummy"

Tetsuro's fists tightened, who the fuck was this prick and why the hell was Kei letting him touch him in such an intimate way?

"so Kei, how about coffee, Monday? Hmm?"

Kei let out an exasperated sigh, this guy never gives up

"we've got plans actually", Tetsuro spoke up, he couldn't take this anymore. Toru barely spared him a glance

"really?". He was still looking Kei in the eyes and Tetsuro didn't miss the subtle forward movement his hips made towards Kei's pelvis

"some other time then. Bye Kei"

He gave Kei a long peck on the cheek before saying bye to the others and skipping along. Kei looked at Tetsuro but his boyfriend was not meeting his eyes; he strapped Yu into his car seat and started the car without waiting for Kei and the others to get in first. Kei noticed the grip he had on the steering and the tightness in his jaw; Tetsuro was pissed.

 

***

"Tetsuro?"

"what?"

Tetsuro had been silent since they had gotten to his house and this worried Kei. They had dropped off Kenma and Shoyo at their places, Yu had fallen asleep on the way and Kei had put him in Tetsuro's room. They were standing in the parlor facing each other and Kei could see how mad he was

"I'm sorry"

"for what? What are you apologising for, Kei?"

"you've been quiet since we left the restaurant, is it because of Toru?"

Tetsuro scoffed and as he began to walk away, Kei grabbed his hand before he could walk past him. He was really worried now

"don't walk away, please"

"let go of me", Tetsuro hissed "I'm tired and I want to go take a nap"

Kei released him and ran a hand through his hair. He was confused, what the hell was this? Were they actually having a fight? Did he think Kei would get involved with Toru? After last night?

"Tetsuro it was nothing, ok? He was just flirting, not that I cared"

"you loved the attention and the fact that he was drooling"

"I did not"

"then why didn't you stop him when he started to get all over you?"

"he does that every single time we meet. He's been asking me out almost as long as I've worked in the House, I've kind of gotten used to it and just ignore him. Even my colleagues know this"

"doesn't matter, Kei, you should have put a stop to it. God! He was practically undressing you with his eyes and you didn't even flinch. You totally ignored the fact that I was there so excuse me if I fail to understand your way of interaction but I am not your colleague"

Kei could see his eyes blaze, he'd never seen Tetsuro this angry before

"I'm sorry, Tetsu. I know it was wrong considering you were there, I just didn't --"

"did you plan to let him fuck you sometime? After you've had coffee, maybe?"

Kei took a step back as though he'd just been punched. Where did that come from? His words came out a choked whisper

"how can you even say that?"

"dunno, Kei. Why don't you tell me?"

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Tetsuro realised what he had just said and saw what his words had done to Kei

"Kei--"

But Kei ignored him. He went to one of the spare rooms, took off his shoes and climbed into bed; he was not going to cry.

 

Tetsuro sighed. Son of a... Why were they fighting? Where did all that rage and jealousy come from? He didn't understand his reaction at all and his stomach churned as he remembered the look on Kei's face when he had implied he would have sex with Toru. He knew Kei would never cheat on him for any reason at all, it's just that the way Toru had touched him was so intimate and too familiar, like they had shared something he'd rather not think about. Even if they had, it would have been before Kei had let him back into his life after all Kei had had a life then. He sighed again and went in search of his boyfriend.

Kei laid on his side. His eyes were stinging and he closed them to stop any form of leakage as he thought. Maybe they had moved too fast, maybe he had moved too fast. He had never given Tetsuro a reason not to trust him so why the sudden trust issue? He would never cheat, never do a thing like that, ever. He knew he was wrong for not putting Toru in check but he didn't think Tetsuro would mind or that he would take it seriously. But then, memories of how jealous Tetsuro could be came floating back. Ok, he'd made a serious mistake.

He heard the other man come into the room, the bed dipped a little as he laid beside him. Kei could feel Tetsuro's warmth close to him and he wanted to turn around and let him hold him, he wanted to tell him he was sorry. But he didn't. Instead, he pretended to be asleep. He laid quietly and almost jumped when he felt something slip under his shirt and snake around his waist.

Tetsuro laid beside Kei, he was facing the blonde's back and he wished Kei would just turn and talk to him, this was not something they should fight about, even though it was all his fault. He knew now was not a good time to talk, Kei always needed space whenever he was upset but Tetsuro did not like the quiet, it was like a huge chasm had grown between them and there was no way to reach him. He felt a disconnect and wanted to bridge the gap. He needed some form of physical contact. 

He placed a hand around Kei's waist and drew closer, breathing in his lover's scent and feeling himself slowly become intoxicated. He felt a stirring deep in his belly and he began to feel that pull again. His hand snaked up Kei's torso and towards a nipple as he pushed a leg between Kei's legs. He found his nipple and brushed a finger against its side as he kissed the back of his neck, letting his scent wash over him while struggling to maintain some semblance of control. He knew he shouldn't be doing this now but God knows he could not stop himself, no one had ever made him feel as powerless as Kei did. He wanted the blonde.

Kei's heart was starting to race, what was Tetsuro doing? His body was beginning to respond to his lover's touch, the heat spreading rapidly from his chest to his belly, right down to his crotch. He felt a press climb between his legs as fingers massaged a puckered nipple; his penis rose and when the knee met his swollen crotch, he clutched at the bed sheet, struggling to stifle a moan. Beads of sweat began to pop on his forehead and as his breathing changed, he knew he had lost this battle.

Tetsuro thought he felt Kei move but he wasn't sure. He brought his mouth to the crook of his neck and licked a spot he knew to be very sensitive; Kei gasped and Tetsuro let himself go. He moved a closer, joining their bodies in a bid to scale the wall erected between them just moments ago and get to the other side where his boyfriend was. He licked the spot again, gently biting while his fingers rubbed the surface of the hard nipple it held; his knee moved higher, putting pressure on the already hard bulge he met, showing Kei his need.

His own erection pressed against Kei's ass and he began to work his fly, slipping his hand in when it came undone and bringing out the younger man's erection. He stroked it gently, up and down, moving slowly, memorising the feel of him and letting his lover savour his touch. Kei whimpered softly and pushed against him, he wanted more. Tetsuro squeezed lightly but firmly on his erection before tugging it a bit, his finger wandered to the indentation marking off where the head began, a finger twirling around the area while another brushed Kei's reddened head. His nose rested on Kei's neck and he breathed him in, he could almost taste Kei's arousal and he loved it. Something wet and warm touched his finger and he used it as a lubricant, his hand moved smoothly up and down Kei's length, quickening his pace as he nibbled on Kei's lobe. 

Kei grabbed harder on the sheet, feeling himself get wetter behind as Tetsuro stroked him. He pressed his face into the pillow and almost screamed out on pleasure as he felt the pressure build, rising quickly and becoming much more intense. He pressed closer to Tetsuro and almost went insane at the feel of his hard erection against his wet opening. Dammit he needed release.

Tetsuro worked him harder and soon enough Kei's breathing became heavier; Kei was close, he just needed a little more prompting. He let his thumb skim over his sensitive tip, squeezing his length a little tightly. Kei stiffened and with a muffled groan, came. Tetsuro continued to squeeze and stroke until the sticky fluid stopped flowing. He placed light kisses on Kei's neck and began to remove his hand but Kei caught it and held on until his breathing returned to normal. He slowly turned to face Tetsuro. He looked into his eyes and was met with a deep longing, something in the alpha's eyes told Kei that it's owner's hunger had not been quenched; he was met with a fire that made Kei want to be consumed. 

He touched the side of Tetsuro's face and brought it closer, kissing him deeply, showing him that he knew what he wanted and he was willing to give him that and some more. Tetsuro growled and held Kei's waist, pulling him in completely, ravaging his lips. He kissed him with a feral hunger that left Kei breathlessly tethering at the edge of oblivion. He moaned against the bigger man's mouth and slipped his hand lower, cupping the fullness there. Tetsuro gasped at the touch and in one swift movement turned so that he was on top of Kei; he straddled him, taking off his shirt and Kei's. His mouth descended on Kei's nipple, sucking hard as his tongue occasionally lapped over its surface. 

Kei writhed beneath him. He latched on tight to the dark head, arching his back to give better access to what he offered. Soon his hand wandered into Kei's shorts, he slipped a hand into the ready opening, feeling the tightness around his finger and loving every movement his anal muscles made. He moved, taking off Kei's shorts and underwear then brought his head to the wet hole; his tongue wandered around the opening as he tasted Kei's warmth, drowning in his scent.

Kei screamed at the contact, damn he'd missed this. Tetsuro licked Kei until he had wiped clean the wetness surrounding his hole; more flowed out as he in two fingers while his teeth grazed against the surface of his warm balls. Kei gasped, opening his legs wider, he placed one of them on Tetsuro's shoulder and rose his pelvis a little higher, it was like the man was unleashing a magnetic force, compelling Kei to draw closer and want to get stuck on the pleasure he offered. Tetsuro kissed between Kei's asshole and balls as the man moaned and grabbed on tighter almost tearing his hair out. As Tetsuro suckled the spot, he continued to finger Kei until he felt him begin to relax and get wider. He couldn't wait any longer, he needed to be inside him now.

He took off his own shorts and underwear, got back on top of Kei, giving him a deep kiss as he slipped in; Kei stiffened momentarily but once he was completely in, relaxed. He moved slowly at first and as the pressure mounted, pumped faster, letting himself drown completely. He thrust deeper and harder as Kei clutched tighter and moaned louder. He held Kei's jaw, guiding his lips to his; his tongue went into the blonde's mouth while the other allowed the invasion. Kei panted, he was close and Tetsuro was close too, they were going to get there together. The man under him let out a sound, holding tight onto his neck, his fingers digging the flesh they met. He stiffened, then came with Tetsuro close behind and when he was done, he rolled over so he was lying face to face with Kei. He held the panting man close, planting kisses on random spots until Kei's breathing calmed.

Kei sniffled and Tetsuro realised he was crying. He rose the blonde head that rested on his neck, looked at it's owner and understood why he was crying. He kissed both eyes, trailing lower until his lips met Kei's.

"I'm sorry, my love. Please don't cry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of those things I said"

Kei's tears flowed more. Tetsuro placed another kiss on his forehead and held him tighter, fighting off tears himself. He hated seeing Kei like this and it hurt him that he was the cause of it; he had hurt Kei again

"please Kei, stop doing this"

His heart was breaking at the soft sobs Kei let out

"please. I love you", he whispered. "I love you. I'm so sorry"

Kei heard and this made him cry harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the first bedroom scene was inspired by a picture I saw, and didn't fail to pin, on pinterest while the rest was me running with my imagination.
> 
> I just recently started a Naruto fanfic, feel free to check it out.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's a new month. Yippee! I do love December, for it's season and because it's my birth month too. Lol
> 
> Anyway, this chapter, if I may, is mostly filler. Sorry about that. But it does get canon towards the end so please bear with Kuroo, Tsukki and I til then, ok?. 
> 
> And I have to apologise to anyone who thinks this chapter is too long, it was actually meant to be two chapters.
> 
> We love you. Have fun reading

He parked just outside the bakery and got out of the car. Kei was bringing Yu over for the night since he had a ton of work at the office, they'll be there in about 4 hours and he wanted to get a few things before they did. He went in, picked a strawberry shortcake, three ice-creams, doughnuts covered in chocolate and those with jam in them, burgers, shakes and several other drinks. He had some biscuits stowed away in the fridge and thought of getting a pizza but decided against it, they'll just order later. 

 

He had been relieved when Kei had called to ask if he could keep Yu for the night because he was supposed to meet his boss and some colleagues and they would most probably spend the night there. After the previous day's events, he had thought Kei would be distant but he was grateful that hadn't been the case. He put the things into the car, looked across the street and something caught his attention, he'd almost forgotten about that. He closed the door and crossed the road.

 

***

 

Kei packed Yu's clothes for that night and the next day and his teddies, Tetsuro had said not to worry, that he would get toothpaste, toothbrush and other toiletries Yu used so the boy could have them at his place for whenever he would be spending the night. He was taking Yu for his first official sleepover at his dad's and the child was elated; he suspected Yu knew Tetsuro would spoil him rotten for the long hours they would spend without him to chaperone them. He smiled fondly, whatever would he do with those two?

 

Thank God they had quickly settled the issue that had arisen yesterday. He knew he had been in the wrong and had acted inappropriately, he had apologised when he'd calmed and Tetsuro had been more than willing to forgive him while also apologising so much it became weird. 

 

"Yu, I'm leaving"

"noooooooo", the little messy haired boy zipped past him to the door. Kei looked at his son's hair and wondered why he bothered combing it at all when it just went right back to the way it was as soon as he took out the comb. Why Yu decided not to take his own texture was something he would never understand.

 

He closed the door and they went into the elevator.

 

***

 

Tetsuro caught his son as the boy leaped on him when he opened the door

 

"g'haffoon dad"

"hey sport", he answered with a laugh as Yu hugged him before wiggling down and running to his bedroom, he liked to play in Tetsuro's walk in closet, why? The man had no idea. All he knew was that his son would tear the place apart and when he was done, Tetsuro would rearrange it; that was their system and they were fine with it. He remembered one instance he had left Yu playing in the closet while he went to take a bath, when he came out, he was met with a very very shiny Yu smiling back at him. At first, he had been confused and went to check him out only to see that the boy was drenched in his hairspray.

 

He wrapped his arms around Kei's waist and drew him in for a deep kiss 

 

"hey babe"

"hey"

He placed his forehead against the blonde's and searched his eyes for any reserved hurt or anger from yesterday and was satisfied to find none. He rubbed a thumb across Kei's lips

 

"are you--"

 

He was interrupted by a very loud and very excited squeal. Kei followed the sound into the kitchen and found a laughing Yu sitting on the floor, getting licked by two adorable puppies. One was a furry black and white mix while the other was furrier and all white. They were so cute and Yu was so in love 

 

"daddy puppy!"

"I see"

 

Kei was surprised. They had never talked about this and even when they'd been here just yesterday, Tetsuro hadn't mentioned anything about puppies. He turned to the man with a raised eyebrow 

 

"puppies, huh?"

 

Tetsuro looked back at him sheepishly

"yeah.. Uh.. I went to the bakery and saw the dog shelter and I remembered Yu had said something about a puppy the day I gave you my number so I adopted them for him. I hope you don't mind? I know I should have asked first or at least mentioned it cause of how tasking taking care of them could be but they could stay here until--"

He was silenced by a kiss

"thank you", and Kei meant this. Yu had been asking for a puppy for ages and now he'd gotten two. Kei had not been able to get him one as he'd resolved all those weeks ago because of how busy he had been but he had intended to get around to doing so when things settled. This gesture touched him, Kei was surprised his boyfriend had remembered that discussion after close to two months but then again, it was Tetsuro, the man would move heaven and earth for his son.

 

Kei pointed to the white one

"that's a Kuvasz, right?", and then to the other

"and that's a Husky?"

"a Siberian Husky, yeah"

"ah. He thinks he's in heaven. He'll never want to leave here, I might as well go get the rest of his stuffs"

 

They watched their son play with the puppies for a while before he ran to Tetsuro and hugged a long leg

"thank you, dad"

Tetsuro squatted and hugged his son's tiny middle

"anything for you darling"

 

The sight caught Kei, he was lost in the heartwarming display and was shocked when a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him down, joining him in the hug

 

"group hug"

 

Yu giggled as he repeated what his dad said while putting a small palm on Kei's back in imitation of Tetsuro. Kei laughed quietly

 

"I swear to God, you two"

 

Yu extracted himself and went back to his new friends with them trying to get on top of him, tails wagging furiously

 

"he'll soon say he wants to be a puppy", Kei observed with a smile

"daddy, wanna be ah puppy". Tetsuro threw back his head and laughed as Kei groaned

"oh God"

 

***

 

3 hours later...

 

"so they're all in there. His favourite teddy is there too, he likes to cuddle it while he sleeps"

 

Kei had just finished his shortcake and was doing that mother hen thing he always does when Yu is involved. Tetsuro had learned to just roll with it

 

"don't let him stay up past 8:00 since tomorrow is school, ok? And speaking of school, he has to be there 7:30. You'll have to pack him lunch and please add a fruit to whatever you pack"

"aye, sir"

"oh and whatever you do, do not let him have a cookie before bed. He's going to beg for it and give you this adorable puppy eyes but don't fall for it"

 

Tetsuro laughed

"I won't"

 

Kei looked at him suspiciously. Tetsuro was susceptible to Yu's charms and Kei knew he would give him anything he asked, even if he refused at first, he would cave in before long. The best thing to do was to make sure there wasn't any cookies in the fridge. Kei walked to the fridge and opened it 

 

"holy shit"

There was enough junk in there to feed an entire army for days

"we're not going to have it all, I swear"

Kei snorted back a laugh

"of course"

"honest. Plus I got this much because Kotaro would be spending the night here too"

"is that supposed to make me feel better?", Kei asked with a small laugh. The three of them alone together almost always spelt disaster. One time some weeks back, Kei had been asked by Keishin to come to his house to go over some records, he was already on his way when Keishin had asked him to come along with the file which happened to be in Kei's laptop. Kei had to return to Tetsuro's and had let himself in with his key. He had seen the three of them huddled around the tv, both men playing a video game. Tetsuro was lying on his stomach, game pad in hand with Yu sitting on his back, his raised leg resting on the couch to act as a support for Yu.

An open box of pizza sat between them and Yu looked like he had been rolled in all of the pizza toppings, Kotaro was giving him a milkshake and when the boy was done slurping, ruffled his hair enthusiastically. They hadn't even known he had come in and only took notice of him when he cleared his throat. They had stared guiltily at him, even Yu seemed to understand that they had been busted. Tetsuro was the first to recover, he'd greeted Kei with a lame

"Kei, you're back", to which Kei had replied

"you don't say"

 

The look on their faces had been priceless and he had tried his hardest not to laugh. Tetsuro had looked at Kotaro for help but the other man was focused intensely on the top of Yu's head, letting his friend know he was all alone in this. It wasn't until Tetsuro had whined "but we were hungry" with a cute look on his face that Kei let his laughter out. 

 

He was glad they had fun and knew they would always take care of Yu. Just then his buzzer went off, he opened the door to an excited looking Kotaro who shoved his overnight bag into Tetsuro's arms as his eyes roamed around obviously in search of Yu 

 

"where is he?", he asked by way of greeting. He saw Kei and rushed in, giving the thin man a tight hug. He hadn't gotten to say anything to Kei when Yu came racing into the parlor, he had obviously heard the man's voice and rushed out to meet him

"uncle Ko!"

Kotaro abandoned the other men, catching the boy as he jumped. Yu was quite the jumper 

"hey buddy. Oh man, you've grown taller!". This was true, Yu's limbs had gotten longer and lankier; apparently all the food he ate went to his height totally leaving out his weight. The boy giggled 

"puppies, uncle Ko", he pointed in the direction of the kitchen and Kotaro went there, letting out an excited sound when he saw the balls of fur. Kei turned to see Tetsuro clutching his friend's bag with a huge smile on his face; he had always told Kei how happy he was that Yu got along well with his friends, made them look like one big happy family. Kei snapped him out of his daze with a peck

 

"I'll be leaving now. You guys behave"

Tetsuro did the boy scout sign

"on my honour", and Kei started to wonder if he should call Keiji and ask him to babysit the three of them. Tetsuro stood by the sliding glass and called

"Yu, daddy's leaving"

Their son once again raced to the parlor with the puppies at his heels and hugged one of Kei's legs

"bye bye daddy". Kei bent and kissed his forehead

"bye, see ya. Be good, ok?"

"kay". Kei stood up and kissed Tetsuro

"be good". Tetsuro smiled and gave him a wink

"you betchya"

Kotaro had also come to say goodbye 

"bye, Kotaro"

"what, I don't get a kiss?". Tetsuro gave him a look

"be good, man". Kei let out a small laugh, picked up his coat and walked out. They'll be alright.

 

***

 

The week had been crazy but thank goodness Keishin had finally given them a well deserved day off. Tetsuro had gotten to keep Yu most of the time, Kei had given him a spare key to their apartment so he could go get more clothes for Yu and anything else he needed. Yu had spent 5 straight days and nights with his dad, the both of them loving it and constantly sharing a look that Kei could only peg as one of mischief. Whatever they'd done together, Kei wasn't sure he wanted to know, he would probably have a heart attack if he did.

 

It was Friday, Yu had finished early from school and the three of them were taking an early evening walk with the puppies. Both men held a leash each with Yu walking in between his pets; he would occasionally pat both their heads and get an energetic tail wag in response. The puppies adored Yu and were already quite protective of him. They walked leisurely, stopping when the puppies did to either sniff at something or go closer to inspect another and when this happened, Yu would also follow to see what it was they were looking at.

 

Tetsuro smiled as he watched this. His son was the light of his life, he had become a different man upon discovering his fatherhood and when Kei had said yes to dating him, his world had felt right again. He no longer felt that void inside of him which he had somehow learned to ignore those two years and every single day, he thanked the good Lord for a word like second chance. Ok those were two words but it didn't stop him from being thankful.

A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his reverie and he turned to see who who it was. His breath caught

 

"hi T. Thought it was you, the hair and all"

"Kunimi", he breathed 

 

Kunimi was the last person he expected to run into, he was an old boyfriend from college and Tetsuro didn't expect to run into him after they'd gone their separate ways. Last he'd heard, Kunimi was abroad. 

 

"been a long time T, what's up with you?"

 

Tetsuro was teleported back to their time together at the mention of the nickname, Kunimi had always called him T and he had liked it very much. Tetsuro didn't understand why he was feeling this way when he had Kei, he was over the guy so why did he feel.. Like what? Was this nostalgia?

 

"very long". He turned to Kei, "this is my boyfriend and that's my son"

The other man did a double take. Boyfriend and son?

"wow, I guess lots of things have happened in these five years, huh?"

"that they have"

 

He extended a hand towards Kei

"I'm Kunimi. I'm an old friend of Tetsuro's"

"Kei"

 

Kei watched the man. He was and tall, though not as tall as he was. He had dark hair that fell over his face but which he separated from the middle of his forehead. He seemed the athletic type and had a calm, fuss-free aura about him with a determined look in his eyes. Kei had a feeling this man relentlessly pursued what he wants until he got it. He also had a feeling that he and Tetsuro had a bit of history, they had been more than just friends and this he knew from the way Kunimi had called himself 'an old friend', like he wanted Kei to know what he was implying. He looked at his boyfriend and saw how jarred he was while Kunimi looked at Tetsuro like he was ready to eat him up. Something in the man's eyes spelt trouble and Kei started to have an unsettling feeling in his stomach with each passing second

 

"I thought you were abroad". Tetsuro had spoken in a kind of low voice that made Kei turn sharply to him

"yes I was and I'll be returning soon. Got some kind of thesis to do here is all"

"oh"

"so how about lunch sometime? We could catch up a bit"

 

Tetsuro swallowed and against his better judgment, nodded

"ok"

"so umm.. If I could get your number so we can make plans"

 

Kei's feeling of dread increased as Tetsuro gave his number but he shoved it to the side. Nothing wrong in catching up with an old friend, right? No need to worry, Kei.

 

"alright, got it. Nice meeting you Kei"

"likewise", Kei lied. Kunimi's eyes held something mocking in them as he regarded Kei, Kei had a feeling this man was taunting him, trying to tell him something but Kei refused to pay attention to it and the look quickly passed just as soon as it had come.

"I'll call you, T"

Tetsuro nodded. Kunimi was looking deep into his eyes, he was reminding him of all they had shared. He didn't even bother to hide the lust in his eyes and Tetsuro felt a bit disoriented. What the hell was happening to him? Kunimi finally broke off his eye contact, said a quick goodbye and walked away. Tetsuro watched him go and when he turned back, Kei was watching him.

 

They walked back to Tetsuro's apartment in a heavy silence, each engrossed in his own thoughts. Kei did not like the feeling he got watching them, it had felt like no other person had mattered as they spoke, like he and his son had disappeared into the background. Tetsuro had never mentioned him to Kei and Kei suspected they must have had something special. But he didn't like the look kunimi gave his boyfriend, he looked at Tetsuro the way a predator looked at his prey, sizing him up before he pounced, going in for the kill.

He sighed. It's fine Kei. You like to over analyse things. Give him the benefit of doubt.

 

Tetsuro's nerves were a wreck. Really, what the fuck was this? So they'd had quite the connection back then but he had gotten over Kunimi less than 2 months after the guy had broken up with him. He'd gone back to just having fun with those guys who threw themselves at him until he'd met Kei right after his law school. What he felt for the blonde was a deeper, stronger and very special connection that could only be formed by the alpha-omega bond. Kei was his omega and he had felt it from the moment he'd laid eyes on the good looking blonde although he hadn't understood what that pull was at the time. He loved Kei more than anything on the world and was surprised and confused as to why meeting Kunimi left him feeling this way.

 

They went into the apartment and Yu asked to watch tv. They sat in silence as Zootopia played until Kei spoke up

 

"should I be worried?"

"what?"

"you've been acting differently and from what I gleaned, he's an ex. So I'm asking, should I be worried?"

 

Tetsuro rubbed a palm on his face, this shouldn't be happening

"no way, love. You shouldn't be"

"he's an ex", Kei stated once again

"he is". Kei didn't say anything so he explained further.

"we dated while we were in college. We started off as friends, then sex came in. I started to really like him so I asked him out and he said yes. I thought he felt the same way until I found out he had been cheating with some guy from one of his classes. I confronted him and he broke it off, saying he wasn't cut out for a relationship or some shit like that"

"do you still like him?". Kei's voice was small, fearful and just a tad bit insecure and Tetsuro hurried to reassure him

"what? No. Its just that suddenly running into him kind of shook me and reminded me of the past. That's all"

He took Kei's hand and kissed the open palm

"hey, it was nothing at all. I meant what I said some time back, Kei, I love you and nothing is going to change that. I won't trade you for a thousand of him"

Kei nodded

"ok"

He let Kei snuggle up to his side and he kissed the blonde head. He needed closure and that's exactly what he would get.

 

***

 

Two days later he was lazying about in bed, his work forgotten, when he got a call

 

"hello?"

"Tetsuro hey. It's Kunimi. Sorry I didn't call earlier, work. So about lunch?"

"yeah. When can you come?"

"come?"

"yep, we'll have lunch at my place"

Kunimi laughed 

"last I checked, you didn't cook or has fatherhood taught you a thing or two about the domestic life?"

"actually it has but I'm not cooking, we'll order"

"fine by me. Address?" 

 

Tetsuro gave it to him and ended the call after they'd said goodbye. They had agreed for Saturday, four days from now. He'll end this once and for all and clear whatever misconceptions Kunimi harbored. He knew Kei was worried but was trying not show it, he was trying to let Tetsuro know he trusted him and had faith in him. Tetsuro appreciated this and he would not disappoint Kei.

Not this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No prejudice to Kunimi, I have nothing against him. I just couldn't think of any other character to use for the part. As soon as I wrote the scene, the first name that came to me was Kunimi and it stuck.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for any misspelt words, I am typing this with tired eyes. I'll update as soon as I have the time to, what with school and all.
> 
> See you soon. Peace


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Can't even think of anything to say here, I'm so tired. Just have fun reading, ok? 
> 
> And I apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes, I'm way too tired to go over my work

Tetsuro hadn't mentioned his plans with kunimi to Kei, no need to further worry him. Besides it would only take a few hours and Kunimi would be out of their lives for good. They had gone about their days normally with Kei becoming less and less at home as Fashion Week drew closer. Home, he smiled at the thought. He had started to see his apartment as their home since his boyfriend and their son spent most of their time there. This was mainly due to the fact that Kei was always so busy so Yu spent the day with him and when Kei came to get him at night, he was usually too tired and often feel asleep mid-conversation. But it was ok besides he was already thinking of asking Kei to move in even though he knew it was too early.

 

Saturday came and Kei left for work really early. It was exactly 13 days to their show and things were crazy at work, thank goodness Tetsuro was there, he didn't know how he would have coped otherwise. Tetsuro, his mind wandered to his boyfriend. He had been acting really strange these past couple of days and though he had a feeling it had something to do with his ex, Kei chose to say nothing. Tetsuro seemed nervous and ultra protective of his phone, spending lots of time texting someone and often excusing himself to go take a call. He didn't let good phone out of his sight and Kei recalled one time he had woken up and hadn't seen Tetsuro in the room and just thought he was probably working in the parlor. He went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and he'd seen him on the phone, his voice hushed. As soon as Tetsuro had realised Kei was there, he quickly ended the call; Kei asked if everything was fine and he'd told him not to worry, everything was dandy. 

 

Last night, Tetsuro had asked him about four times if he was sure he wouldn't be home for lunch and almost seemed relieved when Kei kept confirming that he wouldn't be; this was a deviation from Tetsuro's normal reaction of begging Kei to try and have lunch with him. He would try to talk to his boyfriend today, he would ask him what was wrong and let him know he was here for him. And if he was worried about kunimi, then Kei would reassure him that he wasn't upset or anything, because he wasn't. He parked and quickly got out of the car. He had work to do.

 

***

 

At 12:30 ish his buzzer sounded and Tetsuro opened the door to a smiling kunimi. The man wore skinny black jeans, black tees, black ankle boots, fawn coat and held a bottle of red wine. Tetsuro was kind of relieved Kei wouldn't be around. He needed to do this alone; and Yu was asleep which was also good.

 

Kunimi walked in, looking around as he did

"nice. So... You". He placed the bottle of wine on the table

"for us". When he straightened up, he noticed that his host was keeping good distance. He rose an eyebrow and teased

"what? No hugs?"

"nope. Have a seat anywhere"

"so where are your son and boyfriend?", he went on without waiting for a reply, "it's so surprising you have a son, didn't figure you for a family person"

"anyone could be a family person with the right mate". Tetsuro was still on his feet and was still keeping his distance. Kunimi's brows rose

"are you trying to say you never found the right one back in college? What with the over- abundance of omegas"

"apparently not"

"what about me?". Kunimi's voice had gone several octaves lower and Tetsuro once again saw the undisguised hunger in his eyes. He knew that look, it was a look of wild determination and raw, naked lust. It was a look kunimi was using to pass along his message: I want you, and I will have you.

"you didn't want me remember"

"and if I had? Would this have been us? He spread his arms in an all encompassing gesture as he said this.  
"you, me and a child?"

"guess you'll never know". He was getting rather uncomfortable and began to think meeting here was a mistake, he should have picked a public place. He didn't like what his guest was driving at, he seemed hell bent in ruining Tetsuro's peaceful serenity even though he couldn't understand why.

"what would you like us to order, kunimi?"

"umm fried noddles?"

He picked up his phone and walked to the window while dialing the restaurant. His back was to the other man and when he felt something lightly trailing a path up the back of his neck, he jumped, almost dropping his phone.

"relax T, it's just a finger", kunimi said with a chuckle, "don't remember you being so jumpy"

"you can't go about touching me that way, ok?". They stared at each other for quite some time before kunimi broke the silence in a very quiet voice

"you know, I always liked you. Even when we separated, I still wanted you. Still craved you. I actually started to regret letting you go"

"doesn't matter, it's all in the past; I've moved on and I'm very happy right now"

"are you trying to say you don't feel it? There's a very high current in the air, I want you to tap into it with me". Tetsuro tried to move but the other man moved also, effectively blocking his path 

"you have to move, I don't want to have to shove you". Kunimi laughed

"you wouldn't. Do you know why I cheated?"

"because relationships weren't your thing? You said so yourself"

"no. It was because of my stupid flighty nature. I got discontented quickly. I had always wanted newer challenges, I felt different sensations and wanted to at least them all. Guess my priorities were out of whack.

"I realised my mistake too late and gave up hope if ever finding an alpha like you. Then we run into each other again after what seemed like forever, don't you think that's more than just coincidence?"

What the hell was kunimi saying?

"I have a boyfriend and a son, there is no way I'll leave them for you. I love Kei and I adore my kid and I am not letting you get between that". Kunimi's fingers wandered up his arm, slowly, sensuously

"I want you, Tetsuro, I'm pretty sure you've figured that out yourself". He ran a thumb across Tetsuro's lips and pressed closer

"so maybe we can't have forever, but how about now? How about we seize the moment and shut the world out? Throw caution to the wind, just this last time"

He went in then, he stood on his toes and pressed his lips against Tetsuro's. The man was stiff and unresponsive but kunimi was undeterred, he had missed the alpha too much to just let him go like that. Kunimi knew what he wanted and he was sure as hell going to get it; he wasn't going to let some fashion crazy blonde take that away from him.

 

Tetsuro was surprised the attack and the shock had stiffened him at first but he finally moved in an attempt to push the other man away. He wrapped long fingers around kunimi's arms and tried to push him but kunimi was prepared for this; an arm encircled Tetsuro's neck, clinging on tightly while a hand slowly crawled towards his crotch, grabbing a hold of it when he made contact.

 

Tetsuro gasped. This was not right. Kunimi was not supposed to be kissing him, he was not supposed to be touching him. Tetsuro was meant to be working or planning lunch for him and his son; he was supposed to be waiting for Kei to come home so he could just hold him and drown in his warmth. He was supposed to not let anyone else get intimate with him; no one was supposed to take Kei's place. He didn't want to lose Kei and somehow knew that if he didn't stop this now, exactly that would happen. 

 

Kunimi broke the kiss to get some air and Tetsuro used the opportunity to move. He turned his head slightly, trying to get the rest of his body to move when he caught sight of his stunned blonde staring at them.

 

***

 

Kei had been standing on that spot, watching with disbelief as the scene unfolded. He was suffocating, he needed to get out for air but he couldn't move; his feet were too heavy and his mind had lost contact with the rest of him. They hadn't even heard him come in. His eyes flicked down, that asshole had a hand on Tetsuro's crotch and his boyfriend wasn't even trying to move it.

He had come back for his iPad, he just wanted to take it and go back to the office. He was not ready for the sight that greeted him. He was not ready for it, and neither was his heart. Without a word or a backward glance, he went into the bedroom; he would get his gadget and leave.

 

Tetsuro was surprised to see Kei, how had he not heard the door? He roughly shoved kunimi away from him

"get out of my house you shit"

"Tetsuro--"

"get the fuck out"

Kunimi stared at him

"you really like him", he observed, " I hope you have your happy ending". Then added with a smug smile

"not that I see that happening". He chuckled, picked up his cost and left. He was not one bit remorseful.

 

Tetsuro stood there, not knowing what to do or how to begin to explain anything to Kei. The look his boyfriend had given him, God! He started towards the bedroom but stopped when Kei came out

"Kei it's not how it looked. I--"

"don't", Kei's voice was hollow from pain, "just don't"

Tetsuro came closer, he wanted to touch Kei but the blonde shrank away from his touch

"don't touch me. Just let me go". He didn't like how the last bit sounded, it was almost like Kei was begging to be allowed to walk away forever

"I swear it's not what you think"

"why?". That was the last thing he expected to hear from Kei and it momentarily rendered him speechless

"why did you do this?". Kei's soft voice sounded frantic, his eyes pleading. He wanted to understand why Tetsuro would do a thing like this, he wanted so desperately to believe there was a plausible explanation for what he had witnessed. But the other man did not speak, his eyes mirrored the emotions in the blondes

"it's not fair", Kei whispered, "it's not fair and it's not right". Kei's broken whisper shattered him. He walked closer to him despite the warning to stay away

"please babe"

"don't call me that". He ran a hand through his messy black hair, stopping a few feet away from Kei. He saw the young man fight off tears and felt a sting behind his own eyes. Oh God, he couldn't lose Kei. Not again

"Kei please let me explain, it's not what it looked like". Kei let out a bitter laugh

"I think I remember that line, you used the exact same words not two months ago"

"Kei..". He was begging, once again he was back to the beginning. Did he have some kind of degree in fucking up? Why did he have to make it all go to shit again? He loved Kei to death, so why couldn't he just not continue to hurt him?

"just leave me alone please". Kei's words sliced through him. Unable to speak, he could only shake his head as his eyes watered. His throat felt so heavy, it was like a huge rock was wedged there; he couldn't get his words out no matter how hard he tried.

 

Kei walked to the door and he had a feeling of déjà vu at the sight. The younger man had not yelled at all and Tetsuro would have preferred that because then he would know Kei was mad at him. But no, Kei had spoken in a quiet voice laced with pain and resignation; Kei was tired of his bullshit. He once again watched his heart walk away and he was once again powerless to stop it.

 

***

 

Kei worked til 7:30, he needed to get his mind off the scene he had witnessed at Tetsuro's so he had focused all of his energy on work instead of wallowing in self pity. He would have taken Yu when he left so he wouldn't have a reason to go back there but that would not have been convenient; now his day was over and he had to see the man again. He didn't feel like talking, couldn't bear to talk to him now so he would just text instead. He sat in his car, took a deep breath and typed; he wanted to sound civilised, he didn't want his hurt to make him aggressive.

 

He had asked Tetsuro to please bring Yu over now. At first he had thought he would be able to go there himself but as his time at work came to an end, he'd begun to feel his nerves jitter. He was becoming unstable emotionally, the pain slowly setting in as his strength waned and while he could make the drive to his boyfriend's house, he doubted he could make it back safely; not with the way he was feeling.

 

Boyfriend? Could he still call him that? Tetsuro's reply was quick: Can we talk? Please Kei, give me a chance to explain. Kei stared at his screen, what the hell could he possibly say to him? Kei had ignored his calls, he hadn't been ready to deal with anything Tetsuro related at the time but now, he had to face the same man he was running from all afternoon and confront the feelings he'd hidden from. He mentally and emotionally prepared himself for what he would do.

 

***

 

Tetsuro pressed the buzzer and waited nervously for Kei to open the door. Thank goodness Yu had fallen asleep after his evening bath, at lest Kei wouldn't be preoccupied with their son to talk to him. Kei opened the door with a steely expression

 

"I'll take him", he said, stretching his arms towards the child. Tetsuro knew that if he handed the boy over, he would not be invited in much less given the opportunity to talk. He gently pushed in

"it's ok, I'll do it". He laid Yu on his bed and covered him, giving him a kiss on the lips. He watched his son breathe and prayed that this would not be the last time he'd see him.

Kei was standing cross armed in the parlor when he came out and not sparing him a glance, he moved towards the door

"thank you for bringing him over. I've had a long day and I'd like to rest now if you don't mind"

Oh shit

"Kei wait". But Kei didn't listen, he continued towards the door and Tetsuro had to speed up to catch him. He reached him at the entryway and held his arm to stop him

"Kei please wait". Kei spun around sharply, pulling his arm away as he spat

"I already told you, don't touch me"

Tetsuro lifted both hands in surrender 

"I'm sorry"

"just stop saying that". Kei's eyes were burning with hurt.

"what else can I say, Kei? I don't know what other words to use to let you know how remorseful I am. I'm so sorry you had to see that". He dragged a hand through his black hair

"I didn't mean for that to happen, ok? We were just talking and then he got all over me, before I knew it he was kissing me. I swear I didn't do anything". Kei tried to continue to the door but he held on to his arm again

"please Kei, I love you and I want to be with you, both of you. I would never do anything to jeopardise that". Kei laughed bitterly

"you already have". Tetsuro's heart sank

"no.. Please.."

"I'm sorry Tetsuro but the truth is you and I can never work. We're two very different people who should never have come together in the first place, everything was doomed to go to shit from the start"

His voice came out a choked whisper

"don't say that, please"

"it's obvious I can't be everything you want but God knows I tried. I tried then and even now I still tried so hard. I gave you everything I possibly could but in the end, nothing's changed. I'm still just another stop on the way, to bad I realised it late"

Tetsuro winced at this

"Kei you are everything I want, I need you. I'm sorry I messed things up again. Just please let me make it up--". Kei scoffed, his voice was cracking terribly

"how many times? How many times can you make up for the same thing? I can't be enough for you, can I? Tell me Tetsuro, why can't I be enough for you? I have given you my heart two times but still...", he paused, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall

"Kei..", dammit his eyes were leaking

"I can't keep doing this, it's just a stupid circle that keeps ending badly for me. It's gotten too much and my heart can't take it again"

"Kei he meant nothing, I didn't even touch or kiss him back". He was starting to understand where this was going and he didn't like it at all. If Kei walked away, he was going to die. His heart would shatter forever, nothing would be able to fix it 

"please don't walk away from us", he pleaded softly

"you did that first. I'm just tired of being a plaything"

Oh God, what was this wedge in his chest? This whole episode seemed surreal but it was as real and as sure as the very earth that lived in. He couldn't lose Kei, he couldn't lose Kei again. Please not again. This mantra playing repeatedly in his head

"don't...", he whispered to nothing and no one in particular because Kei had already made up his mind, Tetsuro was simply fighting a losing battle 

"I'm not going to keep Yu away but you and I cannot work and I give up"

"no.. Please. I need you, Kei. Don't do this". Kei opened the door

"please leave"

He gave Kei a pleading look but the latter wasn't looking at him, his gaze was fixed on the doorframe. He couldn't move, it was like conceding to Kei's decision but what could he do? There's only so much a person can take and Kei had apparently reached his limit. God he was a pathetic loser. Thousands of alphas wished for a mate like Kei; two times he'd had him and both times he'd thrown him away. This was probably karma, fucking bitch! Wasn't the first time enough? Couldn't she have taken something else?

 

He walked slowly to the door, Kei still avoided his eyes. He got out and turned to face him

"Kei..", but the door was shut in his face with an air of finality. Kei hadn't even slammed it. He pressed his forehead against the door and wept, not caring who saw him or what they would think. He had just lost the only man he had ever loved, once again, the only man who was crazy enough to love him back. His heart was gone, he didn't care about anything else

On the other side, Kei's head was also pressed against the door, eyes tightly shut as he tried to absorb the horrible pain he felt. Tetsuro's sobs reached him and he wished he could just soothe him, he wished that he would wake up from this horrible nightmare and realise fate had been fucking with him.

They each stood, warring with their own aches while using the partition on which they rested their heads as a support. 

If not for the solid wood that separated them, their foreheads would have touched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about this guys. You know I love you all right?


	18. Chapter 18

Kei dragged himself to his bedroom and sitting at the foot of the bed, he let it all out. The pain, the hurt and the tears he'd kept locked in all day flooded out like a burst dam. The picture from that afternoon seemed seared deep into his head and try as he might, he couldn't get it out. 

He couldn't think what he ever did to be so unlucky with love. He had given Tetsuro everything he could offer both as a boyfriend and as an omega but it still hadn't been enough. He wasn't good enough. He placed a hand over his aching heart, the pain there was too much and the worse part was that even with all that had happened both in the past and now, he didn't bring himself to hate Tetsuro, he still loved him as wildly as love could get. 

He rubbed the spot he had placed his hand, trying to soothe the pain and erase the hurt that was slowly spreading through him but it did not help. Fresh sobs wracked through his body and he placed his head on the knees of his bent legs. It was just like it had been two years ago except this time it was much more intense. 

Memories of that day came unbidden and he tried to push them away but they pushed right back and harder too until they over powered him. He lost the battle and he was soon slowly teleported back...

 

... Kei sat staring out the window. He'd been in that position for a long time judging from the ache in his back. He clutched the piece of paper tighter in his hand as he watched the steady downpour, not that he was seeing anything. His mind was still at the doctor's, a part of her words that afternoon replaying over and over again in his mind

'... 3 months along...', that was all he'd managed to hear before his ears locked themselves up. He couldn't get that phrase off his mind. That explained the weakness, drowsiness and throwing up in the morning. He had lost a better part of his appetite recently, wanting only to eat a chicken burger every so often. He had boiled it down to the flu but since he didn't self medicate, he'd gone to the hospital for a proper test and had received this huge news instead. It was heavy indeed. 

He placed a hand on his flat stomach and wondered how Tetsuro would take it, he doubted the alpha would be pleased as he'd always said he was too young to venture into the realm of fatherhood and would only dare to do so at 30. Nope, he would not be pleased at all but Kei hoped that with time he would warm up to the idea.

He let out a breath. Tetsuro had asked to meet up someplace in town, he should go get ready. 

 

***

 

He saw Tetsuro parked in front of the cinema and started towards him, his heart pounding. He wanted to tell him about the pregnancy today and was a bit scared of how Tetsuro would react. He took off his headphones when he got to the waiting man and leaned in for a peck but Tetsuro pulled back. This embarrassed Kei and he was glad it was kind of dark out so people wouldn't have seen this

"whoa there", Tetsuro said with the palms of his raised hands facing him. "didn't call you here for a public display"

Kei frowned. What was up with him today? Even when Tetsuro had called earlier to ask him to meet up, he had been brisk and had sounded pretty pissed. Had he annoyed him or something? His heart dropped, had Tetsuro somehow heard about the baby already? No, he couldn't have. What was he, psychic? Besides no one could have told Tetsuro because Kei hadn't told anyone yet

"ok so why did you call me here?"

Tetsuro gave an exaggerated sigh 

"don't you feel it?"

"feel what?"

"the end, moron. Don't you feel that you and I have come to the end?"

Kei stared at him

"what?"

"we've gotten to our crossroads, time to head our separate ways"

Kei looked at him with disbelieve. What the hell was he talking about? Was this some kind of sick joke?

"don't give me that look, ok? It's pathetic"

Kei blinked in shock and took a step back. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, couldn't begin to consider the implications of what was happening

"what are you saying?", he whispered

"look Kei, we had our fun, I mean I'm pretty sure I did. You put up one hell of a show and I enjoyed the ride but the truth is you've lost whatever thrill you had. There are no more surprises and I'm no longer having fun. I'm bored out of my mind and that's a sign to move on"

Kei was shocked. Actually he was beyond shocked. Tadashi's warning kept coming back to him, 'he'll use you, Kei. He'll just use you to wile away time and when someone else throws themself at him, he'll drop you just like that...'

Lightening flashed overhead

"what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm done, I've had enough of you and your boring life"

Kei nodded and looked away, his gaze distant. Boring was right; he almost didn't have a life outside of school and had no friends, Tadashi being his best friend and only friend because Kei wasn't good with people. When he was alone, he blocked the world out with his music while either reading, sketching or just resting. He read a lot to get good grades and then get a good job after university; his family was not wealthy so he worked weekends to make ends meet. 

So maybe he didn't party like the other kids, maybe he was too reserved and all that but that was his nature and Tetsuro had told him he liked him that way. Most times that is.

"but you said it was ok..", his hushed voice trailed off. That was the only thing he could think to say

"anything to get those pretty legs open", Tetsuro replied cruelly, his words slicing deep into Kei's soul

"was that what it was all about?"

Tetsuro gave him a cold look

"why else would I hook up with someone like you?" When Kei didn't answer, he barked out a mocking laugh

"did you think I actually liked you? That I would choose you as my omega? Kei you are not my type, if I wanted a boyfriend, I would've picked someone from my social circle; I wouldn't go to the bottom of the ladder"

Kei took another involuntary step back and jumped slightly, placing a hand protectively over his tummy when thunder rumbled in the distance. His head was spinning, God this could not be happening. So he wasn't a rich kid but Tetsuro had said it didn't matter, that he did not at all care about stuffs like that and he had believed this because of the way Tetsuro had acted towards him.

He remembered those looks Tetsuro gave him, not the normal kind, this was different. They were those soft looks packed with so much much unspoken emotions it felt like his eyes would pop from keeping them all in. He remembered those simple but extremely thoughtful gestures Tetsuro made towards him, like that time he had fallen ill and Tetsuro had taken him to his apartment and had taken care of him until he'd recovered. He had missed an entire week of work which had touched his dad off, Tetsuro had risked his dads infamous temper for Kei. 

Or that other time Tetsuro had driven over to Kei's under a heavy thunderstorm just to hold him until the weather calmed because Kei was a little scared of thunder. Or that time when Kei had seen this amazing sketchpad with accompanying watercolor online for sale but couldn't afford it because of how expensive it was but Tetsuro had ordered it as a surprise for him. Or those times he was very protective of Kei and stared daggers at any alpha who dared glance his way.

Had he read it all wrong? Was all that a figment of his wishful imagination? His heart clenched painfully. Tadashi had been right but he hadn't listened, he had played with a naked flame and now he'd been burned

"Kei you are no different from the other guys I've had and you'll not be any different from the ones I'll have. As far as I'm concerned, you are nothing but a name to be ticked on my list and if you had thought for one second that I would choose you as my omega then you were sadly mistaken. You're not even worth considering. 

"like I said, I've had my fill and it's time to move on to something better"

Thunder rumbled once more as the rain started to come down hard. Kei jumped at the sound, placing a hand on his stomach again. He thought of the baby, 'don't worry, I'm right here. I won't leave you'. He caught the strange look Tetsuro gave him but it was gone so quickly he thought he'd imagined it. Tetsuro got into his car

"so long blondie, you can delete my number, ok? Cause there won't be any making up"

With that he zoomed off, splashing rain water from the ground onto Kei as he left. Kei looked on paralysed, so this was what heartbreak felt like? The rain soaked him, mixing with his tears as it fell.

 

***

 

Tetsuro sat in his darkened parlor, eyes fixed on nothing. Every beat of his heart echoed the undisguised pain it felt, leaving raw tremors in it's wake. He felt like ripping his heart out of his chest, maybe then the pain would lessen. Fresh tears streaked his cheeks as he sniffled, this was messed up. If he was feeling this way, then he had to wonder how Kei felt that afternoon, how he'd felt when he had left the blonde soaking under that heavy rain two years ago. 

That day... 

Kei had dealt with his bullshit long enough, Kei had endured so much from Tetsuro and he'd still taken him back. But what did he do? He'd gone ahead and ruined it all. Over and over again he had hurt Kei and over and over again Kei had taken him back; Kei had never left him, Kei had always been willing to forgive him. Until now. This time it was the omega who had walked away.

His thoughts drifted back to that blasted rainy night, the night he'd finally gone and gotten himself cursed.

Kenma had told him sometime before that he was in love with Kei and he didn't know why but the thought terrified him. Try as he might, he couldn't deny the fact that something about Kei was different and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He had gotten scared, he was not ready to feel that way; so he'd done the most stupid thing he had ever done in his entire life. He had called Kei to meet him around the cinema, he would end this madness once and for all.

When he saw Kei approach, his heart had literarily skipped a beat and he had once again panicked; he had almost changed his mind but he took a deep breath and told himself he was going to get through with this. He wanted Kei to end up hating him, that way it would be easier for the blonde to think Tetsuro hadn't been worth it.

He'd said the most hurtful things he could think of, going from Kei's introverted nature to his family status and everything else Kei was a bit insecure about. He had noticed how Kei had jumped at the sound of thunder and he'd almost rushed to his side to hold him and soothe his fears; he had seen how Kei's hand flew to his stomach more than once and worried that he had some kind of bug, he had even thought of driving Kei to a nearby hospital to get him checked. He had seen the unmasked pain in Kei's eyes and the subtle tremor of his lips as he fought to control his tears; his heart had twisted painfully and he'd had to swallow hard and force the words out. 

He had never felt so terrible his entire life and when he'd left Kei standing under the rain, he knew it was by some miracle he hadn't been stricken by lightening as punishment for what he'd just done. He had told himself not to look, that he had done the right thing and that he should just keep moving. But he had spared a glance through his rearview mirror, Kei was still standing where he'd left him and it had taken all of his willpower not to turn the car back around. 

When he'd gotten home, he had gone straight into the bathroom and had wept bitterly as the hot shower flowed down, wishing it would wash away how dirty he felt even as he cursed his cowardice. The days had slowly passed into weeks and as the seconds ticked by, he constantly caught himself reaching for his phone, aching to hear that quiet voice again. Just once, he'd tell himself, just this last time.

But shame hadn't let him. All he could do was listen to Kei's messages on his voicemail over and over again. He had read Kei's texts a million times he could recite them in his sleep. He couldn't stop looking at the pictures of Kei he had taken when the blonde wasn't looking because Kei did not like pictures. He hadn't been able to get his eyes off one in particular; Kei was sitting on Tetsuro's bed, wearing Tetsuro's shirt. His knees were up, sketchpad resting on his thighs; he had his earphones around his neck and he was smiling at something Tetsuro had said. He could almost see the halo around the blonde head, God he was beautiful.

He had been miserable and though he'd tried to act like everything was cool, his friends had seen through his bullshit. Even Kotaro who was most often clueless had seen also seen this; that was how pathetic he had he had become. He didn't know how he'd managed to hold himself off for that long but after a month he finally gave in to his friends prodding and went to Kei's apartment. Tadashi had answered the door and despite lots of pleadings from Tetsuro, refused to say anything other than to tell him that Kei was gone. 

His heart had dropped a hundred feet at the news and no matter what he did, the other man refused to let up and tell him where Kei was. Tadashi was a very nice and easy going person but he obviously could not forgive Tetsuro for what he had done to his best friend. Served you right, asshole. 

He had driven to Keiji's totally defeated. He had cried on the man's shoulder like a baby for a long time before drifting off to sleep. When he'd woken up, Kenma was beside him, his expression unreadable; but he was there and that made all the difference. His friends had not supported what he had done but that didn't stop them from being there for him. They had been with him every step of the way and had helped him through his depression. They had helped him search any and every social media they could lay their hands on but it was like Kei had dropped off the face of the earth. He had even closed his Facebook account. 

He had briefly entertained thoughts of going to Miyagi to ask his parents, briefly being the operative word as he didn't dare show his face there. They'd rip him to shreds for hurting their baby, especially Akiteru.

10 months passed in a blur and somehow he'd started to recover. He had accepted the reality that Kei was gone although it was all his fault and had tried to move on. He had done everything he possibly could that fell within the realm of 'moving on' and was doing well until he'd run into Kei 2 months ago.

Had it really been two months since he'd seen Kei at the school? It seemed like forever. It seemed like time had stood still since that day and when Kei had said yes to letting him father Yu and then to dating him, he'd felt a breath of fresh air. It was like he had been drowning and he had been miraculously pulled out of the suffocating darkness.

But now, he'd been mercilessly sucked back in, an anchor tied to his leg to take him to the very bottom and stop him from coming back up for air.

He curled on the floor, he felt hollow and empty. There was nothing else to do, nothing left to say. It was all over. He closed his eyes, his heart as cold as the marbles he laid on as he let the darkness swallow him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas in advance folks! I hope you enjoy the celebrations.. Love you all
> 
> Phew! Alright, here we go

The three set of eyes couldn't stop their blinking as they stared incredulously at the man that just spoke. Kotaro sat beside his boyfriend Indian style on the floor while Kenma sat with Tetsuro on the couch. The looks on their faces a mix of surprise, anger, disappointment and even more surprise. They had been summoned here by Tetsuro and this was the last thing they expected to hear. Ever

"what?!", they asked in perfect harmony and this time Tetsuro was sure they usually held rehearsals on how to react for when he fucked up. If they were an orchestra, their leader would be proud.

"Kei left me", he whispered shamefully as he hung his head. This scene was so familiar, it brought on more than just a feeling if déjà vu; it had happened before, and more than once too. 

It had been two days since Kei had asked him to leave his apartment and no matter what he did, he could not reach the blonde. Kei had refused to pick his numerous calls, he'd sent him tons of messages to which Kei hadn't replied, not even once. Kei had only sent him one message: I'll be tied up at work this week, please pick Yu up. I'll get him after work. And that had been it, so formal, so direct and so unemotional.

The two times Kei had come to get their son was brief; he usually didn't say anything, he'd just pick the sleeping child, thank him and leave. Kei avoided any form of contact and eye contact with him and to say that this hurt him was a gross understatement. It had gotten so much he had called his friends for help.

"why?!", they were still talking in unison and though normally this would have weirded Tetsuro out, he didn't have the strength to complain at the moment. His friends looked completely confused and mortified; they had obviously thought he'd finally gotten his shit together but they had been wrong. They couldn't understand why Tetsuro messed up so much when it came to Kei

He roughly ran a palm over his face, letting out a deep sigh  
"he saw Kunimi". Their eyes widened  
"Kunimi?!", they asked in bewilderment. What the hell was this? Why are they just now hearing of him? How and when had Kunimi walked into the story?

They were silent for a bit before Kenma finally spoke up  
"Tetsuro, we know for sure that Kei would not break up with you just because he saw Kunimi. What really happened?"

He raised his head, eyes red from exhaustion and unshed tears and saw the expectant look on their faces. He returned their look with one that was beseeching, begging so desperately not to make him relieve it again. Kotaro tilted his head to the side, he looked like he was waiting for a bedtime story  
"bro we're not getting any younger"

At this, Tetsuro let out a shaky breath and began to spill it all out. He told them how they'd run into Kunimi, how Kei had been a little worried by his reaction, how he had arranged lunch for them without Kei's knowledge to 'settle things', how Kunimi had made out a little with him and how Kei had seen it all. When he was done, their mouths were literarily hanging open 

"what?!", they screamed. They just couldn't comprehend this tale they'd just been fed. Keiji recovered first

"Tetsuro what the hell were you thinking? Why did you let that asshole put his hands on you? Why did you meet in your apartment? And why the hell didn't we know about it?"

"I didn't think he would do something like that", he whined pathetically. "I just wanted closure". 

Kenma scoffed  
"it's Kunimi we're talking about here, a go-getter. What made you think he wouldn't have tried something like that? The calls and texts were enough indication"

"I didn't do anything, I swear I didn't even touch him"  
"but you didn't stop him either. Tetsuro you sometimes do things without thinking who's going to be on the receiving end. I feel bad that Kei always has to be the one to suffer every time"

Kotaro nodded  
"you know bro, Kei and I may not see eye to eye on almost everything, but I like the guy. He's good for you but you always hurt him bad"

Tetsuro covered his face with his palms as he sniffed, his tears beginning to flow freely. They were right, he'd known it all along but hearing it from them hurt so much because it made him realise what a stupid ass he was. He didn't understand why he always had to hurt Kei so much, Kei didn't deserve this kind of treatment, Kei was just too good for him and even though he knew that staying away from Kei was probably the best thing to do for the omega, he couldn't bring himself to do that. Call him selfish but he loved Kei too much to let him go.

Keiji laid a hand on his foot  
"just tell us that Kunimi is gone for good"

"that fucker!", Tetsuro snarled. "damn straight he is"

"what are you going to do bro? I mean it was nice of him to let Yu keep hanging out with you and all but don't you want Kei back?"

Keiji agreed  
"yes, is that going to be enough? Can you handle being around them knowing you can't have Kei like you used to anymore?"

He once again buried his face in his palms. He'd thought about it many times already and the truth was he couldn't, it would not be the same. The longing would be too much, the pangs too deep and the distance too long. His shoulders shook as he cried, he didn't think he could do this. Yes he wanted his son but he wanted his omega too, he wasn't complete without the both of them. He wanted Kei back.

Kenma laid a soothing hand on his back  
"sometimes Tetsuro, I feel like laying you across my laps and spanking the hell out of you"

Kotaro hooted with a sly look on his face  
"kenma that has got to be the dirtiest thing I have ever heard you say"

They sat quietly, each with his own thoughts; what to do? How to help? They wanted Kei to come back, he was the best thing that had ever happened to their friend; he was perfect for Tetsuro. Kei was more than just a friend, he was family and though their friend may have messed it all up again, it didn't stop him from loving Kei. Plus they still loved the blonde too.

Kenma leaned against the backrest of the couch letting Tetsuro lie on his laps. He rubbed his hand against the back of his childhood friend, trying to soothe him. Tetsuro could be a selfish prick sometimes but Kenma did not like to see him this way, he hurt when Tetsuro hurt. His friend rarely cried, he always chose instead to swallow his pain and be strong but this was different. 

His thoughts strayed to Shoyo. They had known each other for all of two weeks and although he hadn't worked up the courage to ask him out just yet, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose the smaller man. He could not even begin to fathom what Tetsuro was going through right now. It must be horrible.

They would help get Kei back. They had to.

 

***

 

Friday. Exactly one week to the show and things had been insane at work; today though, he and a few others were given the day off to cool off steam and get their heads back together for full functionality. Boy was he tired, the stress from work and the whole Tetsuro business had drained him of his energy.

Tetsuro. He had successfully avoided talking to him all week but seeing him today and maybe even talking to him was inevitable. He was going to get his stuffs he had left at Tetsuro's apartment, he would have preferred doing it in his absence but when he'd called to let him know he would be coming over, the man had said he would be around. 

Kei sat in the lot of the apartment building for a long time just thinking and steeling himself for what he was about to do. He'll just go in, pack his belongings into the bag he had there and leave, simple as that, it didn't need to be complicated. 

But who was he kidding? His heart had been broken again, he was still hurting badly and the sight of the messy haired man still made his heart stop. He still hadn't told Akiteru about it, couldn't bring himself to because he wasn't sure he was ready talk about it. He wanted to be strong, at least for his son. 

Yu. He was a little angel and Kei did not want to see him suffer just because he was suffering. He remembered the day he'd seen Tetsuro and Kunimi together, that night, he had somehow fallen asleep on his bedroom floor. He had woken up in the middle of the night and he had seen Yu lying close beside him, a little palm on his cheek as though he'd been trying to wipe the dried tears off Kei's face before he too fell asleep. The gesture had been too much and it had opened another flood of emotions in him.

He had held his son and he had cried for God- knows- how- long before lifting the child and laying him on the bed. He had watched his son sleep and he had apologised, wishing he didn't have such an ass for a father. But he did, no thanks to Kei and his poor judgement; of all people to fall in love with...

He breathed in deeply and then let it out. He got out of the car, time to get this over with.

 

***

 

Tetsuro waited nervously for Kei to come. He looked at the clock, he should be here any minute. When Kei had called earlier to tell him he would be coming over, his heartbeat had tripled in anticipation, he knew it was hopeless anticipation but he couldn't help it. When he'd heard the reason for his coming over though, his heart had sunk and the only thing his emptied mind could think was 'Kei is leaving me, he's really leaving'. 

This realisation pained him, he had known all along that Kei had meant it when he said he had given up but he had still harbored a little hope that things would somehow find a way to be right again. The call had dashed that hope and had woken him up to the painful reality.

The buzzer went off and he jumped, almost racing to the door and when he saw Kei standing there, he lost his breath. Kei looked beyond exhausted, he knew it was not work alone that had caused it. Guilt ate deep at him, he ached to hold the blonde and almost moved to do just that but caught himself in time. He would not be welcomed, Kei wasn't even looking at him. Fuck.

Kei stepped in, said a distant hello and walked into the parlor with Tetsuro behind him. He got a hug from his son who was sitting spread legged on the floor and who was busy coloring a lion pink. His puppies laid curled around one another at his side, both fast asleep. 

"hey darling. What are you doing?"  
"colors"  
"oh. What's that you're coloring?"  
"lion"  
"hmm that's one scary lion"  
"uh huh", Yu nodded enthusiastically in agreement. 

Kei chuckled softly and got up, not sparing Tetsuro a glance, he walked in the direction of the bedroom. He stood at the door, looking around the familiar surrounding, taking it all in. He remembered everything they had shared in here; the soft kisses, the love making, the gentle touches and all the whispered promises, everything gone in the blink of an eye, snatched away by some guy who hadn't even needed a day to leave his mark on their relationship.

He felt the sting behind his eyes, his vision blurring but he rapidly blinked the tears away; this was not the time nor place. He went into the closet, picked up the bag and began stuffing his belongings in. He didn't fold them, he didn't have the time to do that, all he wanted to do was leave this place. There were too much memories here, it smelled so much of them, of home and he felt the familiar heaviness begin to rise in his heart once more. 

He sniffled, his strength was starting to fail him. This was too hard, so much harder than he'd thought it would be. He felt a deep sense of loss and soon realised he didn't want to go; he did not want to leave the man he loved with the whole of his heart, the man who was the father of his son, the man he had so naïvely given himself to. But what could he do? It wasn't like any of this was happening because he'd chosen it to. If he had a choice...

He closed his eyes, took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. Putting them back on he took a calming breath, he could do this. But he couldn't move, the pain had paralysed him.; he had zipped his bag close but he couldn't seem to get his legs moving. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to break lose; stupid, this was so stupid.

Just when he was about to move, he felt hands on his waist, pulling him close to the familiar warmth he did not want to walk away from. A forehead rested beside Kei's head and Kei found himself leaning backwards towards it. But this wasn't enough so he turned around, the hand never leaving his waist as he rested his head at the crook of its owner's neck. 

He breathed in Tetsuro's scent, memorising his touch, letting the feel of his skin sink deep deep into him. He wrapped his hands around his neck as Tetsuro's hands around his slim waist tightened, pulling close into a hug, like he was trying to merge them both into one body. They stayed that way, each feeling the heartbeat of the other, knowing this was the last time they would let themselves go like this except some miracle happens. 

Kei pulled away reluctantly, missing the touch already and still without looking at Tetsuro, he picked up his bag and left the room. He pecked Yu, telling him his dad would bring him home tomorrow and turned to leave. He had already gotten to the door when his steps faltered, oh God, he was not ready to walk away from everything his heart wanted. It felt like he was walking away from the other part of him, who could walk away from the one thing that made you complete? He was terrified that if he left now, he was walking away from happiness and things would never be mended.

Should he turn back? Did they still have a chance? Could they actually work things out? No, they were beyond redemption. The picture of Kunimi's lips on Tetsuro's flashed before him and he shook himself, they were completely done. This time, it was for real and the sooner he accepted that, the better.

And so he swallowed hard, pushing the knot that stood in his throat and reached for the knob when he felt hands grip hard on his upper arms. Tetsuro had reached him without Kei knowing because of how messed up he was; he was feeling a lot of things at a time and that had disoriented him. He felt Tetsuro's forehead rest against the back of his head, something wet trickling down his neck to his back, soaking his shirt. 

Tetsuro held on tight, his tears unrelenting as they flowed straight from his wounded heart. He wished for Kei to reconsider, he wanted him to understand that he was dying slowing from the inside; this was ripping his soul out and try as he might, he could not get to Kei. It was like the very air around him was leaving, his heart stuttering in pain at the feel.

He drew closer, wanting to pass along the words his mouth could not speak through that touch alone, it was the only thing he could do at this point. 'I love you', it said, 'I love you and I cannot live without you, not again'. He was letting his heart beg, he was baring his vulnerable soul to the one person having the power to destroy him; he was clutching at the last thing he could hold on to at the moment and he did not want to let go again. 'give me another chance', his tears whispered. 'let me show you that I deserve you'. 

Kei heard the silent plea, he understood the unuttered words, he felt the pain of the one he had considered his alpha, a pain that was all too familiar to him. He wanted more than anything to pay heed and give it another go, just one last try.. But he couldn't. He did not have the strength for that. Instead he shut his ears to the words whispered to his soul and locked his heart to the gnawing pain already there. He let go of the bag, turned around and looked at Tetsuro for the first time that day. His eyes watered at the sight of the battered looking man and God he was this close to changing his mind but the fear of a deeper hurt did not let him. 

He loved Tetsuro and the devastation he saw in the man's eyes made him crack; he wanted to soothe his pain and ease his suffering. He might be hurt but God knows he could not stand to see Tetsuro like that. 

He lifted his hands and wiped the tears off Tetsuro's handsome face. He let his hands linger, committing the feel to memory, looking deep into the sad eyes to show him he understood. He placed a kiss at the side of Tetsuro's mouth, picked up his bag, turned the knob and without looking back again, walked out the open door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this sting in my eyes? Must be the cold...


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, happy new year! Yaaayyyy
> 
> Ok first of all I have to say I am so sorry it took this long to update. Second, this chapter is so shabbily and hurriedly written. 
> 
> All of this was caused by ill health. I haven't been feeling so well and so I couldn't write out this chapter and even when I did I was still kind of down, that's why it's so poorly written.
> 
> Also sorry in advance for any wrong spellings or errors, too tired to go over the work
> 
> But I hope that despite all it's shortcomings you enjoy reading it

"here you go", Shoyo placed a steamy bowl in front of Kenma and sat beside him. Shoyo had invited him over for the day since they were both off; kenma had had a bout of fever that lasted through Sunday and Monday but his boss had let him have til Wednesday to fully recuperate while it had been Shoyo's and some others' turn to have the day off. 

These few days Shoyo had been unable to hide his worry about Kenma's health. He called almost every hour to check on him and when he'd had the day off, Shoyo had wasted no time in driving over to pick Kenma on the pretext of wanting to 'just hang out' even though they both knew he really wanted to satisfy himself that the blonde was truly ok since he'd refused to see a doctor. He would have spent the day at Kenma's but he had a few photos he needed to work on before tomorrow.

The omega adjusted himself on the large floor pillow he'd just sat on; although he had a dining table for four in his kitchen, Shoyo preferred eating on his parlor floor and he'd gotten some big soft pillows for this purpose. They were very comfortable and no one complained about it.

He'd made tomato soup, to be eaten with bread. A convalescent could eat that with no incident, at least that's what google had said. He had checked to see what kinds of food a person recovering from fever could eat because he didn't want kenma eating anything that'll upset him later

"careful, it's very hot, fresh out of the pot"

Kenma smiled at the warning, Shoyo was treating him like a kid just because he'd been I'll

"sure, thanks"

They ate in silence for a little while with shoyo throwing him occasional glances -probably to make sure he was actually eating- and kenma doing the same but only because he couldn't keep his eyes off the orange haired man

"so kenma, just how fulfilled do you feel about not going to the hospital, ehn? You know you could have died, right?"

Kenma chuckled, he knew Shoyo would bring that up, it was only a matter of time. After all, no one had bugged him so much within that time to go see a doctor as much as Shoyo had. The man had even offered to beg his boss for permission from work to take him

"I didn't die, Shoyo. It was just a fever" 

Shoyo paused, his spoon held mid-air 

"it's not just fever, ok? People die from it. Go ask those poor souls who died from it in some African jungle"

"Shoyo I wasn't in a jungle. Plus I knew I didn't need a doctor for that one"

"that doesn't make me feel any different", Shoyo replied with a pout. Kenma laughed out, Shoyo was so amusing and downright cute

"your soup tastes great, Shoyo"

Shoyo blinked at the sudden change in topic, blushing slightly at the praise

"thank you. My mom's recipe"

"she must be a great cook then". Shoyo giggled like a little boy

"oh she is. You'll keep eating even when you're stuffed". Kenma smiled, he'd love to meet her. He wondered if shoyo looked like her or his dad and what qualities he'd taken from each of them. He'd seen a picture of his sister and knew she had orange hair also but he hadn't asked who they'd gotten it from

"how's work?"

"it's such a huge rush now. Everyone's on edge and Keishin would bite anyone's head off if they made a mistake. Glad I get to escape the madness today", he replied with a boyish pout then giggled again. "I don't envy Tobio and the others though. Serves him right for eating all my curry buns"

Kenma laughed softly at his childlike behaviour, it was a quality he found endearing and never failed to admire in Shoyo. In the past, kenma had always wondered what kind of omega he was likely to end up with -maybe someone cool and quiet like him- but never once had he ever imagined he would be attracted to an energetic, ever bubbly guy with a head full of bright hair to match his personality.

He loved to listen to Shoyo talk, always enjoyed how animated and excited he got while explaining things, his charm was infectious, a gift that could pull anyone out of their shell but much as kenma loved it, he occasionally had incidences of doubt and fear. What if Shoyo didn't like him that way and was simply being the friendly person he was? What if Shoyo agreed to date him but soon tire of his reserved and conservative lifestyle? Because truth be told, they were total and complete opposites -where kenma mostly shied away from human interaction in general, Shoyo just jumped right in, no apologies. People like Shoyo went for their type, those that could keep up with their boundless energy and kenma knew he wasn't that.

Shoyo took his empty bowl to the kitchen them returned with his camera. He set the Nixon between his open legs and began to dismember it

"you eat too slow, Kenma", he quietly observed as he worked. "if you and I have to share a plate of food, I'm pretty sure you'll only have about three spoons before the plate empties"

"you always say that even though you know it won't make me hurry"

Shoyo giggled

"worth a shot. But it's ok, I like how you eat. Anyways you've got to eat it all up, you totally need all the food you can get. You've gotten skinny..er. Skinnier"

"says the guy whose skinnier that I am"

"at least I wasn't ill", he retorted and kenma chuckled

"I'll try, no promises"

"I'll feed you if I have to"

Kenma's blush was deep. That would definitely be most welcome buy he was sure he'd choke on it seeing as it was Shoyo who would be doing it, even being close to the guy alone made his head spin. 

He stared as his companion effortlessly reassembled the Nixon; he watched his slim fingers move and thought how he wanted to kiss them, one at a time. He would linger on each one, gently touching his lips on the thin digits, feeling every curve and every angle on them. He would trace their beauty with his tongue and memorise their smooth feel, he would pour everything he was feeling into that one act and hope that shoyo got the message. 

His gaze drifted to the small moist lips and he wished he could taste them, just this once. He fucking craved the skinny man and if he didn't have him soon... The tip of Shoyo's tongue peeked out the side of his mouth as he concentrated on what he was doing and kenma gulped. God he looked so edible.

Kenma licked his lips and caught himself leaning in. He prayed he didn't lose control of himself, if he wasn't careful his body would probably just move on it's own. Now he understood what had happened to Tetsuro the day he had first kissed Kei that morning in his kitchen, he shouldn't have judged him. 

He looked at his skin, it had a soft creamy look, almost like some milky toffee and kenma wanted to take a bite. He was no cannibal but he had never seen human skin look so enticing with a promise to be nothing but earth shattering to the taste. It was positively mouth watering and boy did he want to sink his teeth into the thin neck.

He wanted Shoyo so badly he ached but he couldn't do anything about it at the moment and sitting so close didn't help.

But fuck! Those hands... He could only imagine them on him, wrapped tight around his neck, all sweaty from the heat of love making. What did Shoyo's moan sound like? What noise did he make when he comes? 

Kenma snapped out of his perverted thoughts with a blush, he had to stop this now before he had an erection, how the hell would he explain that? He quickly glanced down at his crotch to make sure he was still flat, he was, thank goodness. He took a sharp slurp of his now cold soup, where was all this coming from? Must be the fever, he mused.

Shoyo suddenly turned to face him and Kenma felt his heart stop. Jesus! This guy was just too beautiful for earth. Shoyo had obviously been about to say something to him but the words didn't come out, instead he just stared at kenma and kenma stared right back. They paused that way, eyes fixated on each order, breaths coming out in short bursts. Kenma's heart played a beat he didn't know but fully understood; he felt like he was in paradise and he wasn't ready to leave. 

For Kenma, time waited, letting him savor the beauty of the moment or rather the beauty of the eyes he was trapped within. He felt himself move forward a little and once again struggled to remain in place. He couldn't afford to scare him away without even getting a chance to ask him out. Should he just go right ahead and do it now? Was this a good time? Was this setting ok? Kenma was quite confused because Shoyo was the first person he'd ever wanted a relationship with as he had never considered himself the relationship type. 

Shoyo closed the distance between them, calm and unhurried and Kenma felt his heart race. The orange head moved deliberately -like they were seeking done kind of permission- the head got closer and titled subtly to the side when it was mere inches away from him. 

Kenma's lips parted a little, gently throbbing in anticipation of what was to come. He didn't think their first kiss would be initiated by Shoyo but he was fine with it. After all in the end, there'll be a kissing. The omega finally reached him and when his lips were almost touching Kenma's, the head moved more to the side. Kenma felt a smooth thumb brush his cheek and he shivered at the touch

"you have something here", Shoyo whispered. "how did you manage to get soup all the way here?"

He moved a little ways from the side of the blonde head but not too far that they couldn't feel each other's breath on their faces. They locked eyes and Shoyo licked the soup off the thumb in a deliberate manner and Kenma's heart just stopped. If he was trying to tease him, it sure as hell was working. 

They remained that way, nothing but static air between them. Shoyo's cheeks were flushed and Kenma could almost swear he saw something beckoning in his eyes. A few endless seconds ticked by before Shoyo began to retreat and before Kenma's brain could register what was happening, his hands moved. They flew to the arms of the retreating man and held on to the upper part. He pulled Shoyo back to him so that their faces were closer once again. 

What now? He chided. He seemed to always lose rational thought when Shoyo was involved, like some magnetic force just pulled him towards the man, a force so strong it couldn't be early shaken off. Heat Shoyo did to him. 

The omega didn't take his eyes off Kenma's, his moist lips slightly parted and he inhaled softly through them. Kenma didn't miss the dilation in Shoyo's eyes and got the feeling they were drawing him in. Maybe he should just go for it now, maybe it wasn't too fast. Or was it? Did he even know what he was doing? He moved in a bit and heard Shoyo inhale sharply, this caused him to pause. Maybe he was pushing it, Shoyo probably didn't want to and kenma knew for sure he didn't want to jeopardise his chances with him or ruin their friendship. 

He wanted to pull away and return to his cold meal, it was his intention to let him be and simply let them go at Shoyo's pace. That was what he wanted but apparently some part of him had a different plan. He found himself moving closer and when he was close enough for their lips to touch Shoyo's eyes closed and kenma went in.

He joined his lips with the other's, kissing him slowly, softly, savoring the taste; they tasted like tomato, spices and something else he couldn't grasp. He deepened the kiss, trying to unearth the hidden sweetness lying underneath all that food spice; he was digging deeper to uncover that mystery that promised to quench his craving.

Shoyo moaned, his arms went around Kenma's neck and the latter pulled him closer, desperate to close the distance between them. Shoyo's moan was louder this time, his tongue wandered into Kenma's mouth; it pushed against his teeth, begging to be let through. He wanted to feel the inner warmth of his mouth and explore it to his satisfaction; Kenma heard and he obliged. 

Their tongues played, dancing to an erotic tune kenma didn't want to stop moving to. His hands moved underneath Shoyo's thighs and he lifted him from the pillow and placed him on his laps so that they were facing each other. Shoyo's hands still coiled around his neck, tightened and kenma wrapped a hand around his waist, placing the palm of the other on his back to hold him in place as he devoted his mouth. 

He crushed into it deeply, grabbing at every pleasure it offered, seeking very badly to satisfy the hunger that had grown to a monstrous level. He wanted more, he wanted it all. 

Kenma felt himself rise. If he was sane he probably would have thought of putting a stop to this now. If, but he wasn't. He was already far gone in the raw desire pouring out of him. He wanted to take as much as he could but he was so greedy that no matter how much he'd gotten, he still ached for more. It was like an itch that the more you scratched, the itchier it got; you knew that if you didn't stop you'll break the skin but you just went on because you could not help it. 

His hands went lower, they cupped Shoyo's ass and drew him forward even though that was not necessary seeing as Shoyo had pressed closer to his rising stiffness. His erection pushed against Shoyo's sensitive opening and the omega let out a soft gasp against his mouth, a hand digging into the blonde hair. He pushed the head harder towards him, moaning and grinding his pelvis against Kenma's and when the thick hardness rubbed against his hole again, he almost screamed out in pleasure.

Kenma extracted his mouth from Shoyo's and kissed just under his jaw, taking in the soft musky scent that met his nostrils. He tasted the salty sweet mix of perspiration and Shoyo and never wanted to leave. He trailed gentle kisses lower, lingering at the soft crevice of his neck, lightly running the tip of his tongue over it's crook; he tasted him once again and felt himself get drunk at the burst of flavors that hit his tongue. When his lips touched below his Adams apple, Shoyo shrieked, his hand in Kenma's head tightening in a vice like grip. He arched his back, opening himself up to more. 

Shoyo threw his head backwards, holding on tightly to an arm 

"ple.. Pleas.. Ahh!"

Fuck! His whole body was aflame, no one had ever turned him on so bad with just a kiss as Kenma had just done. He was melting in the arms of the man he had so often dreamed of this past weeks, a dream he didn't think would come through so quickly. He was desperate for the alpha and if Kenma wanted him right now, Shoyo would let him take him, no questions asked.

Kenma's lips moved to his shoulder. He placed a kiss on the protruding shoulder blade, kissing it's sharp edges, noting his skinny ship was and his fragile it made him seem. He moved to the crook of his creamy neck and without thinking, bit gently but firmly in; his teeth sunk in like it would into a soft soft cake and kenma almost expected melted chocolate to spurt out of it

"ahh!", Shoyo screamed out, latching on tightly to his shoulder and like a band far stretched, Kenma's senses snapped back hard and fast. He withdrew his head immediately from where it nestled, heart pounding at the realisation of what he'd just done. 

He had hurt Shoyo, his mind shouted. Crap! He quickly pulled back, resting his eyes on the spot, almost wincing when he saw the already reddening area with prominent teeth marks. Fuck, what was wrong with him? Since when had his self control gone missing? He wrapped his hands around Shoyo's arms and gently pushed him away to inspect his face, he was met with an omega still pretty glazed over from their session. Shoyo's eyes were half closed, his lips still swollen from their kiss and kenma felt like tasting them again. Missing their feel already

"I'm sorry", he whispered to the dazed man still on his laps. Shoyo didn't respond at first and when he did he sounded just a tad bit coherent

"hmm.. Wha..?"

"I'm sorry", he repeated, stopping Shoyo's movement towards him. "we have to stop this. I have to go, ok?"

That cleared the other man's head. He blinked rapidly, staring open mouthed at kenma as he regained his sanity

"what? Why?" After what had happened less than a few seconds ago? He'd just leave? Who did that?

"I shouldn't have pushed it, but I did and I hurt you. I'm sorry", his sheepish voice barely audible

"no you didn't, I kissed you back didn't I?"

"but I hurt you, you screamed when I bit you. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking"

Shoyo touched the spot, gently rubbing a finger against it. 

"it doesn't hurt, kenma. Please just forget about it. It's a hickey, very normal with make outs"

But kenma didn't feel anything normal about it. He had lost control and he had hurt this man who had grown to mean so much to him and that was the most thing he ever wanted. 

He gently lifted Shoyo by the waist and put him down on his pillow; kenma got up, cleared his plates and went to the kitchen with Shoyo closer behind. Kenma washed his plates and the ones Shoyo had dumped earlier in the sink. The omega's worried expression didn't waiver as he followed kenma back to the parlor and thinking that Kenma would stay, sat back down and waited for the blonde to do the same. 

Kenma needed a little space right now to process his many feelings, he still felt very bad at what he'd done and was beginning to question it all. He would just pick up his stuffs and leave; call it self doubt or whatever, he didn't think he understood what he felt. He picked up his coat and was about to put it on when Shoyo jumped to his feet, his distress apparent

"what? You want to wear that in here? Are you cold? I could get you a sweater, I've got some over sized ones..."

Kenma saw the frantic look in the other man's eyes and hated that he was the cause but he felt that this was the right thing to do and he would do it

"let go Shoyo", he answered in a soft voice. "I'm leaving"

"what? No you can't"

The blonde didn't reply. Instead he tried to gently extricate Shoyo's hand from the coat but his grip tightened. Shoyo would not give in without a fight

"you can't just leave like that, who leaves someone because of some hickey?"

"I hurt you Sho--"

"would you please stop saying that?! You didn't, ok? I thought you wanted to be here with me?"

Kenma focused on the man staring back at him wide eyed, looking like he was at the verge of tears. He drew closer to him and touched a finger on his cheek

"hey, of course I want to be here with you, I'd love that more than anything. It's just.. I can't stay here and trust myself to keep my hands off you. I've wanted you for so long I--"

He was interrupted by a hug around his waist, Shoyo buried his face at the crook of his neck, his words coming out muffled

"never said I wanted your hands off me"

"Sho--"

"please Kenma, don't go. Please stay"

Kenma let out a breath, fuck his resolve was cracking and he knew of he didn't stay strong it would break. He wrapped a hand around Shoyo's thin shoulders and murmured close to his ear

"trust me Shoyo, I want to. But now isn't right"

Shoyo pulled back a ways and locked eyes with him

"the time doesn't always have to be right, sometimes you just take it as it comes and make it right yourself"

Much as kenma wanted to say 'fuck it' and go with that philosophy, he didn't dare. The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of the situation. The problem wasn't Shoyo, no, it was him. Kenma was drenched in so much hesitation when it came to Shoyo, he couldn't let them rush into anything. He wanted to be with Shoyo so badly but right now he was having trouble reconciling what his heart felt and what his head said. His heart said he should just go for it, ask him out and do everything he could to continue to have the omega but his head said he wasn't ready. He had never been in a relationship and couldn't say if he was ready to handle it. The chances of them actually working was only about 50%, they might love each other but sometimes love wasn't enough to hold two people together and he was trying to avoid a situation like that. 

He buried his face in the thick orange hair, they smelled like fresh lemons. He loved it. 

"I'm not sorry for what we did", Shoyo's whisper reached him. "I don't regret it one bit and if I get the chance to, I'll do it again"

Kenma held him tighter. God he really wanted to have Shoyo but he wasn't sure about them. Shoyo might say this now but what about 6 months from now? One year? People like him were flighty, they loved fun. So what if this was just another tryst for the man? He didn't like to think that way but it was something he had to consider. 

And even if it wasn't that way, he still couldn't bring himself to feel deserving of him. Shoyo was a very precious one that should be with someone who would appreciate him as he was supposed to be. And though that didn't stop him from wanting him, it made him think twice. 

He wanted them to have the time to properly think about it, he didn't want them making a decision in the heat of the moment. Kenma liked him so much, maybe he even loved him but he was not going to be selfish with Shoyo. He wanted the man to think clearly about it before deciding he wanted to be with someone like kenma. It wasn't that he had a low self esteem or anything, he just wanted him to be sure. He didn't want regrets later.

He didn't want to pour himself into this and later find out it was all in vein. What he felt was deep and if he wasn't careful, he could be burned. 

He gently pushed Shoyo away from him, the outrage head didn't raise so kenma realised our with a finger. He looked into the sad eyes and placed a chaste peck on the lips

"I'll call you, ok?"

"you won't stay?", came the small voice

"not today. But I'll make up for this, I promise". And he would no matter what he decided on the end. 

He rubbed a finger across the lips before pulling away. He put his coat on and walked out of the apartment. He knew Shoyo was still standing there but he didn't dare look back, he might change his mind if he did. 

He didn't hear the door shut until the elevator closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Yeah and I also intended to make the chapter longer, I was going to add a little KuroTsuki scene but I was too tired so instead I made it a KenHina thing. 
> 
> Honestly I was also going to make it end better but I don't know, like I wasn't thinking straight or anything.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys I know I could have written this better but my health regressed again- because I didn't finish my first prescriptions- and out of sheer frustration I scribbled this out. 
> 
> Please forgive me for this crappy writing.. I love you all

Tetsuro walked into the building, saying a distracted hello to anyone he encountered. He was not in a talking mood, hadn't been for two weeks now. Really all he wanted to do was curl into a ball in a corner and just die. Kei had picked Yu up and had asked him to come get him, he'll be working late again. He went into the elevator and pressed the floor number, his mind shutting off external invasion as he ascended.

His heart still dropped each time Kei's call or message came in; he still felt like he was trapped in some nightmare and if someone could just pinch him hard enough then he'll wake up. He missed Kei alot, so much so that he'd started seeing his face in crowds and had to look harder before the illusion cleared. Each time he'd gone to their apartment to drop Yu- because that was the only thing that took him there now- he had to struggle hard not to hug Kei; he wanted to hold him again so bad it hurt. He could feel the ache deep deep in his bones, it was there even now. 

He still cried, sometimes he'd just stand in the shower and fucking cry his eyes out until he was spent but the misery never left, it always remained even after all that. It was so bad that once he'd burst into tears while feeding Yu. His son had been talking incoherently about something he and Kei had apparently done together, the constant mention of 'daddy' had been the trigger, it had repeatedly landed hard punches on an open, sore wound and soon enough it had started bleeding again. 

His son had quieted, shock written all over his small face and he hadn't known how to begin to explain to Yu the reason for the the tears. He had tried to put a lid on it but the harder he tried, the harder they'd poured out. When Yu recovered from his initial shock, he had quickly stretched his thin arms out and leaned forward, wrapping them around Tetsuro's neck. The boy had hugged him real tight, seeming to understand his pains and his tears and Tetsuro had shamelessly cried on the tiny shoulders that were more than willing to offer him comfort. Yu had parted the back of his head as well as any two year old could- something he'd learned from Kei- saying 'sorry dad' in a voice more quiet than usual. He knew his son was at the verge of tears also; Yu was a very empathetic child who cried when he saw someone he loved crying. He was quick to offer comfort and never left them until they had stopped their crying; he was a very kind and gentle boy and Tetsuro was sorry he had ruined his chances of giving their son a perfect home. 

The head pat had continued and Tetsuro had fought to regain control, Yu was too young to shoulder his problems. He had managed to curtail the emotional outburst just in time to hear Yu sniffle, he had wiped the lone tear straying down one small cheek and placed a kiss on his forehead. He had told his son how sorry he was for everything: For leaving his daddy before he even knew they were going to have him, for not being there to see him come into the world, for leaving his daddy to take care of him all alone, for not being with them to watch him grow to this point and for hurting his daddy again. He had told Yu how much he loved him and he had told him that he would never ever leave him again no matter what and he had promised that he would do whatever it takes to make it right again.

The elevator dinged and he stepped out, almost dizzy at the whirl of activity around him. There was a flurry of motion everywhere, too many people- possibly the models?- and so much noise. He walked as quickly as he could in the crowd, trying not to bump into anyone as he walked towards where Kei had said they would be. He scanned the faces, trying to locate a tall blonde or a small head of messy black hair but he didn't see them; maybe he should just call him, it'll be easier. He took out his phone and dialed but there was no answer, he dialed two more times but only got his voicemail. Shit. He looked around once more, searching for a familiar face and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted a blond mohawk. He pushed towards it and called out when he was close enough to be heard.

Taketora turned, searching for the person that called and seemed pleasantly surprised to see Tetsuro

"yo Tetsuro, what's up? Here for Kei?"

"hey man. Yeah, he said to meet him here but I don't see him and he's not picking my calls. Any idea where I can find him?"

"last I saw him he was heading to the rest room with Yu. Not the 'I gotta take a leak' kind of rest room, the 'I need a fucking nap' kind. Damn, told the boss we had to change the name, sounds not just ok, you know?"

Tetsuro laughed at the explanation  
"ok where is it?"

"it's two floors up, room 70. Would've taken you but I've got to take these boxes to my boss right now"

"it's no problem. Thanks man, see you around"

"sure thing"

This floor was beautiful; the environment was so quiet and serene, almost like it was soundproof. He entered the room, taking in the soft carpeting, the cool air and the comfortable couches and roll up mattresses all over the place; anyone could fall asleep in here in a matter of seconds. He spotted Kei at a far corner and walked towards him. He man was curled on a large and extremely soft looking couch, fast asleep with Yu beside him. Kei was at the edge, placing Yu between himself and the backrest, the boy's leg flung across Kei's stomach. 

Tetsuro squatted beside where Kei's head rested, watching him breathe, looking all blonde and gorgeous. Once again, he was hit by the realisation of what he had lost; he'd had this man as his own and he had so stupidly thrown him away. Gold turned to dust right in his palm, and like dust in the wind, it had got blown away. 

He blinked back the threatening tears and reached out to Kei's cheek; he ached to touch him again, just to feel him skin against skin. He was tired of the distance that had grown between them, the coldness had all of drained him and even though he badly wanted to give in to the building urge, he knew that touching Kei would wake him and Kei would be furious at him. After all Kei had said not to touch him again. One more chance, he had prayed, just one last shot and he would do right by Kei. He had hoped, he had prayed, he had wished but there was no granting that; it was gone and it will not come back again

"Kei", he whispered softly, trying to rouse him without touching him. Kei stirred, his eyes moving underneath the closed lids but they didn't open. 

"hey, Kei". Still nothing. Kei was obviously very tired to be sleeping so deep. Having no other choice, he touched his shoulder and gently shook him

"Kei..."

Kei's eyes opened slowly, trying to take in his surrounding. He set eyes on Tetsuro, then shifted his gaze to the hand still on his shoulder and then back at him, his eyes burning with anger and disgust. The older man withdrew his hand quickly as though he'd been burned. It hurt him so much that they had gone from two people so in love to total and complete strangers so much so that Kei could not even stand his touch again. Did love die so easily? Could it metamorphose into something darker within the span of two weeks? God, he felt so screwed over

"I'm sorry". He was weary and so tired of Kei's constant rejection, it hurt so so much. Everytime it happened, it felt like a piece of him slowly and painfully withered away. He just wanted the man he loved back.

Kei didn't answer. He glanced at Yu and satisfied that the boy was still asleep, sat up. He wanted him to have an uninterrupted nap; for two days now, Yu hadn't had a proper nap and Kei felt it was because of the rush all around him. He probably got high from the adrenaline filled atmosphere, that was why as soon as he'd caught Yu yawning and rubbing his eyes, he'd quickly rounded up what he'd been doing and had taken him away from all that energy, Yu had fallen asleep in no time. 

He rubbed a hand over his face before putting his glasses on. He didn't bother asking how Tetsuro had found them, could guess at it. Plus it would make him talk unnecessarily to Tetsuro when all he wanted was to send him on his way. Being this close still made him feel dizzy; it made his heart choke on what could have been, what he'd hoped will be. He had been so naïve, so stupid. What had made him think things would be different this time? People like Tetsuro never changed, to bad people like him never learned

"his things at downstairs", he said as he stood. Kei reached down to pick the boy but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder

"let me"

Kei stiffened at the touch, bolts shooting from where they connected, weakening his body at the feel of what they'd ached for. The hand withdrew again and Kei was almost sure it had burned a hole through his shoulder

"I'm sorry"

Kei's eyes closed, he took a deep breath and let it out heavily. It wasn't that he couldn't stand Tetsuro's touch, wasn't that it was unwanted it was the direct opposite; Kei didn't like what it did to his heart. Every single time he felt his touch, it reminded him of things past, things they'd lost. His body practically begged for the familiar warmth it had grown to love, he longed to be held again, to be touched with nothing standing as a barrier. Kei wanted his alpha beside him at night; sometimes the longing was so bad he couldn't sleep at night. It always was so empty and so cold and it wounded his heart, tore at it so bad he felt paralysed. 

He was learning yet again to numb himself to these feelings, to the hurt and the misery; he was going back to the empty shell he used to be. There was a time he had managed to banish it all because it had been the easier way, he had been able to forget Tetsuro. But despite how hard he tried shutting that door, it had refused to respond. Maybe it was because of how deeply it had etched itself into his soul or maybe it was because he had so stupidly let it, but it was harder this time. Almost impossible. It ripped at him, causing a pain so sharp it could cut a rock; it reminded him that he had become a sad sad man who was simply going through the motions of every day. It reminded him that he was a moron who had fallen for the same asshole two times in a roll with no one in between; that no matter what he did, no matter what he gave Tetsuro, the man would never see him as worthy enough to be the only one. 

He stepped aside to let Tetsuro pick their son then he led the way out. The ride down was long and the atmosphere so thick it could be sliced through with a knife and like a curse people seemed to stay away from the elevator until they'd gotten off. He had gotten the feeling that Tetsuro was itching to say something to him but Kei had not given him the chance; he had looked straight ahead, feigning aloofness and giving off a hostility he didn't feel. He did not want to hear what Tetsuro had to say, not anymore. They were way past that. 

They walked into Kei's office, he picked the bags from his chair- Yu's backpack and a smaller bag holding his toys- and proceeded to the door again. 

"I could take those so you can get back to work"

Kei didn't break stride  
"if you'd rather struggle to hold a child and two bags..."

His tone was ice cold, one of his many defense mechanisms. God this sucked, he wished he could just throw the pain away, he wished he could get amnesia in all things Tetsuro related. Why was he so unlucky with love, why did his own story have to be so dreary? What happened to happily ever after? 

He stepped into the descending box with a clenching heart, already he was feeling the effect of Tetsuro's proximity and as much as Kei wanted to deny it, he really needed to feel those strong arms around him and soak in the warmth he'd been missing from his life these two weeks. He moved further in and away from Tetsuro, resting his back against the elevator wall. He was pretty sure what he felt was beyond miserable and whenever he glimpsed the regret and devastation and everything else in Tetsuro's eyes, he felt himself crack. Over and over again he just cracked with no effort at all on Tetsuro's part. 

Bloody love, it was like quicksand. You thought it was solid ground until you stepped into it and started sinking. You'd struggle hard against it, trying with everything to fight the inevitable even though you knew the futility of it all and you wouldn't stop until you were already halfway gone; that's when you gave up. It'll take its sweet time drowning you, letting you know it was the one with all the power and you were simply at its mercy. It'll take you under, suffocating you unhurriedly, snatching the life away from you in bits until finally it enveloped you, leaving nothing in its wake only the disastrous aftermath. 

He closed his eyes with a sigh. He remembered the first time they'd met, it had been a long day for Kei and all he'd wanted was to get some biscuits and beverages and then rush home for a much needed rest. They had a new professor who used illustrations to teach and they'd spent close to 3 hours on their feet, trying to capture all they'd been taught and mould it into a solitary figure on plain sheet. His back ached and his neck hurt, he needed a hot soak to ease the tension off his bones. He remembered that he hadn't been in a talking mood- when had he ever been really?- which made him wonder why he hadn't just ignored the guy. Politeness, he mused, definitely politeness. 

He had gotten out his wallet to pay for the items he'd picked when someone placed some cash in front of the cashier and said it was to cover both their purchases. He had turned to find a handsome guy wearing a cocky grin, a big attitude and a very very bedy bedhead. The first thing his instinct had told him was to stay away from this guy, he wasn't his type and he smelt like trouble. Just walk away. 

They got out of the elevator and Tetsuro led the way to his car...

He had tried to listen to the voice in his head but the guy had insisted on paying and then he'd walked out with Kei; he'd wanted to drive him home but Kei had been firm on his refusal. They had run into each other lots of times after that- something Tetsuro had later admitted had nothing to do with coincidence- and Tetsuro had continued to push and push until Kei had lost balance and finally fallen. If only he had tried harder to listen to his head...

After Tetsuro strapped Yu in, Kei put the bags into the car and finally turned to look at Tetsuro, his breath momentarily caught at the haggard sight that greeted him. Tetsuro looked terrible, he had huge bags under his eyes like he too hadn't been sleeping. He looked worn and beaten and Kei noticed that he'd lost some weight; Kei felt so sorry for him and would've loved to give him a hug. But there was no way he was crossing that line again

"please let him sleep for as long as possible, he hasn't napped in days. And if he asks for his 'babbit' he means the stuffed rabbit in his bag"

The first time Yu had asked for the bunny, Kei had been confused. Maybe he would've gotten it if his head hadn't been so messed up with the thoughts of his two time ex. It wasn't until Yu had grabbed his hand and had led him to the kitchen table, pointing at his toy bag and repeating 'babbit' that Kei had finally understood.

Tetsuro smiled sadly  
"babbit, got it"

Kei nodded once and was about to leave when Tetsuro grabbed his arm. Kei turned sharply, his harsh words dying on his lips at the look in the man's eyes. They were full of something bittersweet, something achingly pleading that for a moment Kei froze; whatever Tetsuro's eyes held at that moment ripped at Kei's soul so suddenly and so painfully that it knocked the breath out of him. He understood how the man felt, he knew that feeling all too well.

The hold on Kei's arm tightened as Tetsuro stepped closer. Kei could see the dark lashes resting against tan skin, he could almost see the man's breath, almost hear his heartbeat through his hold. Kei quickly looked away, breaking their brief connection and made to pull away but Tetsuro's hold didn't budge.

He hadn't meant to touch Kei at all, he had wanted to respect the boundary that Kei had set and keep his distance but like a moth drawn to flame, Tetsuro was pulled to him and he had finally latched on. Fuck, he missed his blonde too much to resist the pull; he felt like he'd been lost, left all alone in the piercing cold darkness and he needed to find his way out. He missed Kei so much that sometimes he felt his presence in his apartment, could almost smell him. Sometimes Kei's scent would waft from a pillow and Tetsuro would hold on tight to it, burying his nose deep into it before he could get some sleep. 

He knew Kei was mad at him for touching him but at this point he did not mind, he would take Kei's fury if only to get his breath of fresh air back

"I miss you, Kei", he whispered. "I miss you so much. Please come back home. I'm so sorry for everything, I've learned and I swear I'll change. I will never ever make a mistake like this again"

His voice cracked slightly at the the last bit, he couldn't take it anymore; the emptiness, the loneliness. It was killing him. He wanted to change, he wanted more than anything for this last chance to show Kei he would become a better person if Kei could just please please forgive him and save him from the horror that had become his life. Because, fuck, he couldn't sleep, couldn't rest at all; basically the only thing that kept him going was Yu. 

But in the end, Tetsuro did not want to live without Kei, he did not want to even begin to envisage decades and decades without him. At this point, he was ready to reduce himself to nothingness if it'll bring his omega back

"please, please forgive me. I am so sorry for everything Kei, please. I.. I can't continue like this. Please come back home"

If Kei wanted him on his knees, then he'll do just that. Anything, anything at all just to have him back in his arms. He fought hard against the growing wetness in his eyes, struggled to settle his aching heart and soothe the cries in his head. He hoped- prayed- that Kei would take him back; this last time, he promised, just this one time. 

"I love you so much, I'm so sorry I messed up again. Please.. Please come back"... Please let these feelings reach him.

But Kei's gaze hardened and the words he spat were dripping with acid

"you are my worst mistake, Tetsuro. I regret ever knowing meeting you or having anything to do with you. The only good that came from knowing you was having Yu and if not for my son, you and I would not be standing here"

He roughly pulled his arm out of the slackened grip and stepped away

"I detest you and if there was one thing I could erase from my life, it would be you. Don't ever say such shit to me again, you and I are fucking done. I'm not going to be the fool again"

He ignored the shocked look in Tetsuro's eyes, he pretended not to have felt the bile rise in his throat at the absolute lie he'd just coughed out as he turned his back on the stunned man and walked away. He strode purposefully towards the building, praying that he made it to the safety of the bathroom before he crumbled. He knew how deeply his words had cut the other man, he understood that the look Tetsuro had had in his eyes was something that'll hunt him for all eternity. He wanted to believe that Tetsuro would indeed change and that things will work again but he didn't dare; he'd been there before with the same man and he knew that those were empty words that will fail in the end.

So many promises, too many vows but in the end, they had meant nothing. His heart had too many scars for it to believe anything else that came from the person who had wounded it. He spared a glance at the glass on the building and got a glimpse of Tetsuro, he was still in the position Kei had left him, hadn't moved an inch. And though Kei would have loved to go back to him and kiss him and tell him he meant none of that, he put a lock on the sentiment and stepped into the building.

Some bridges had to be burned

***

Shoyo dragged his tired legs out of the elevator and into his apartment. Damn he needed a hot soak and a day's sleep. Today had been one of those bad bad days; he'd slept through his alarm, woken up really late, had gotten a speeding ticket because he'd been in a hurry to get to work and when he'd parked his car, he'd flown out of it and had somehow slammed the door against his finger. He had stood there, holding the finger, the scream and the tears as it throbbed painfully. Finally it had subsided and he'd raced in only to run into keishin, knocking down the files he'd been holding, papers flying all over the place, some falling close to the ice machine that had somehow let more than a few drops of water slip and which someone had forgotten to clean up; they had gotten soaked and he knew that of keishin could, he would have had his balls without a seconds thought. 

Later in the day, after he'd spilled hot coffee on Ryu's ass, spilled shoe glue all over Daichi's crotch, tripped against Tobio's legs and fallen on Taketora who had, in the process of trying to steady himself, hit one of the light stands they used for their shoots and it had hit the other and they had fallen, tangling up their wires. He had tried to help clean up the mess but had ended up breaking one of the bulbs and then mistakenly stepped on Terushima's camera, cracking the lens. Keishin finally snapped and scolded him really bad for being such a klutz and had sent him home before he mistakenly set the building on fire. But then on the way home, his car had broken down and he'd had to wait two hours for the tow truck and another four hours for them to fix the car. It was only 6 o'clock but his body felt like it was 12 midnight. 

Then to top it all up Kenma still hadn't called. Every night since that day, Shoyo slept with his phone clutched tight in his hand, the volume at the fullest so that no matter how deep asleep he was, he would wake up should the call come in. But it never did. He had been tempted only about a billion times to make the call himself but he wanted to give kenma the space he'd asked for. But really, what would anyone think about for four days? Four days

He flung himself on his couch with a pout, maybe kenma had a lot of work to do or something, if he'll just let--the buzzer went off and Shoyo buried his face and his moan in the arm of the couch. Five minutes, was that too much to ask? Couldn't they have waited for minutes? With a groan he lifted himself from the couch and opened the door to find a nervous Kenma staring back at him uncertainly. Shoyo didn't know whether to be relieved and simply fling himself on the man for a much needed hug or let the frustrations of the day and those of the past four days take over and just slam the door in Kenma's face. 

The blonde moved from foot to foot, remorseful and just a little uncomfortable; obviously he realised what he'd done, at least he had the good sense to feel sheepish. He kicked at an imaginary object on the floor and finally spoke in a small voice

"hey..."

Shoyo noticed his discomfort and felt himself soften  
"hey"

He stepped aside to let Kenma in and closed the door after him. Kenma presented Shoyo with a box of his favourite chocolate  
"for you"

The omega stared at the gift on appreciation, just what he needed right now; it was as though Kenma had read his mind. Actually he had wanted to get that on his was back but all the stores he'd checked had run out. This scored Kenma more forgiveness points

"thank you". The gesture was so thoughtful, it touched him and maybe it was because someone had finally done something nice to him after a terrible day of virtually everybody yelling at him, he felt himself tear up but quickly blinked it away

"it's nothing"

Kenma could not begin to say how sorry he was that he'd gone silent on Shoyo. Really he'd wanted to call him but his fingers refused to co-operate, he'd kept postponing it and before he'd known it, four days had flown by. He'd been sceptical about coming over today because he hadn't known if Shoyo would be home and decided that even if he wasn't, he'll wait until he got back. He wanted to see him

"I didn't think I'll catch you home at this time"

Shoyo sniffled  
"yeah well I got kicked out of work"

"what happened?"

Shoyo's lips puckered, quivering slightly as it finally got to him. Fuck, he didn't want to cry about this like some kid in grade school but apparently he was on some kind of emotional high, his hormones had taken over and they needed release. Who was he to fight hormones? Who had such powers? He held the box of chocolates with both hands, his tears finally rolling down slowly; kenma didn't waste any time to rush to him and hold him

"hey.. What's wrong? what happened?"

That was it, what was wrong? Shoyo couldn't say, all he knew was that at the moment he was emotionally unbalanced and he wasn't in the right frame of mind. He was just plain tired and sad; so he let the tears out, refusing to fight them any longer because the effort itself drained him of his energy. And because he needed to de-stress.

Kenma bent and lifted him up, he walked to the couch and sat, placing Shoyo on his thighs so that they were facing each other. The omega's head nestled at the crook of Kenma's and Kenma's hold on him tightened. He didn't know why Shoyo was like this but he didn't like it

"do you want to talk about it?"

He felt Shoyo nod once, a hand going to his face to wipe the tears before he began his narration in a shaky voice. He told kenma how his day had started, how he'd gone and ruined stuffs at work and how keishin had had to kick him out after getting yelled at from everywhere. 

Kenma reached down and lifted the hand to inspect the finger. He noticed how Shoyo's body had stiffened when he touched the finger and his shaky inhale when he rubbed the tender spot. Must really hurt. He placed a kiss on it, wishing he could take the pain away

"sorry you had a bad day"

But Shoyo wasn't done. He told kenma that he'd been waiting for his call, he'd been anxious the whole while but Kenma still failed to call, he'd ignored Shoyo. Why had he been ignoring him? Was it something he did? If he'd done something wrong, he was sorry. At this point kenma felt the drips on his neck, Shoyo was crying again. He held the orange headed man real close, feeling very guilty for the distance; he hadn't thought it would run this deep or hurt Shoyo this bad. 

He apologised, telling Shoyo he didn't have an excuse for his behaviour and that he hadn't meant to hurt him at all. That shoyo had nothing to do with it; he had apologised again and again, repeatedly telling him he'd missed him a lot and that he will never do a thing like this again. They had sat silence for a few minutes when kenma was finally able to say what he'd come to

"hey Shoyo...?"

"mmn?"

"ahh.. Err..", he held the man tighter, wondering yet again if this was the right moment considering Shoyo's emotional distress but he shoved the scepticism aside

"well.. Ahh. I.. I mean would you like to.. Ah.. Go out sometime?"

Shoyo sniffled, his voice weak 

"like.. Out? A date?"

Kenma swallowed and nodded even though Shoyo couldn't see him

"yes.. Yes, just like that". He was very nervous, Shoyo had just cried moments ago, part of which was because of him; if he said no, kenma wouldn't be surprised though it'll hurt like hell

"yes", his soft reply was slow, his voice weaker. "I'd like that very much"

Kenma breathed a sigh of relief, using a forearm to wipe the cold sweat that had broken across his forehead. He hugged Shoyo, a smile playing across his lips

"thank you. I'm really sorry, ok?"

"mmmn"

They sat in silence again, kenma feeling the light weight on his thighs as Shoyo snuggled closer. Boyfriends, they were boyfriends now. He'd finally gone and done it, he couldn't be happier. He shut his eyes and rested his head on the orange mane, inhaling the scent that teased his nostrils. Lemons. He loved the scent of Shoyo's shampoo. 

"hey"

But there was no reply, only soft breathing against his neck. It wasn't until he looked down that he saw Shoyo had fallen asleep; he'd had a rough day, he did need his rest. Kenma placed a kiss on his forehead and closed his own eyes. If there was one thing he needed the most now, it was to be a good enough alpha for Shoyo. And he would try his hardest to make it work.

He promise, he will

***

That night Tetsuro stood at his balcony, feeling the coolness of the air; he hoped the steady breeze would make him feel better. He listened carefully so he didn't miss Yu's call if the boy wanted something. So paternal, he mused with a half smile, so responsible. Normally he would have loved to get drunk after the shit he'd been hit with this afternoon but he couldn't do that, he had to keep his shit together so he didn't lose the one thing he got to keep after kunimi had fucked his life up. He would have to be a good father so Kei didn't take Yu away.

He took a swig of his beer and focused on the stars twinkling away in the sky. So beautiful, they reminded him of millions of fireflies lighting up the night just like Kei had lit up his life. He glanced back at his bed, it really was too big for just one person; it had worsened his loneliness at night since Kei left. It made him miss how Kei always snuggled closer to him for a cuddle before he fell asleep, the early morning kisses Kei liked to steal when he thought Tetsuro was sleeping and Tetsuro liked to pretend he was asleep just for that. 

He turned back to the sky just in time to see a shooting star fly across and wondered if it could truly take his wish to wherever and make it come true. He knew without doubt the one thing he would ask for; if only wishes came true...

Would Kei see the star? Would he wish on it? what would he wish for? Would Kei really wish for a better alpha? Would he truly wish Tetsuro out of his life? 

His words had stung so much, they had dug a massive hole in his heart that the black hole in space couldn't match. He had been shaken to his bones at the implication of Kei's words, he had once again understood the depth of pain he had caused Kei the few years they had known each other. He had left Kei when the omega had needed him the most, he had made him go through so much he shouldn't have had to alone; he had waltzed back into Kei's life and practically demanded to be let back in. He had been selfish and narcissistic and a goddamned prick.

But in all of this, Kei had loved him too much to hurt him back. Kei had put up with him and had stayed with him and had been ready to forgive him; he had shown Tetsuro what true love really was. Not everyone would have opened their hearts a second time but Kei had and what had he done? He'd gone and put a knife in it. Kei's love was just too pure for him. 

He put down the half full bottle and roughly dragged a palm over his wet cheeks. 'you are my worst mistake...'

God did Kei regret knowing him so much? Had he finally pushed Kei to the point that the blonde pushed back? A sob escaped his lips and he slapped a hand over his mouth to stop any more from slipping out. The thought that he was the cause of Kei's unhappiness wrenched hard at him. Did Kei hate him that much now? He never thought he would be such a terrible alpha or that he would cry so much over an omega. If this was punishment for some sin he'd committed in the past then he was so sorry. He had paid enough as it was so could karma just please give him a break? 

Just then a small cry reached him and he jerked to the open French window to see Yu sitting on the big bed, rubbing his eye with one hand while the other clutched his bunny as he softly let out half sobs. Tetsuro hurried to him and sat in front of him, Yu's eyes were still closed even though they were restless under the lids. His son stretched out both arms, distress etched all over his beautiful face

"... Daddy", sniffle sniffle. He lifted the child and Yu rested his little head on his dad's shoulder

"shhh it's ok". He'd probably had a bad dream or something, he'd seen this happen only a handful of times and Kei had told him never to wake the boy up when it did, he should just hold and coo him until he went back to sleep. 

"daddy... Want daddy"

Tetsuro's heart squeezed at the demand and he held on tighter to his son, feeling guilty that he couldn't grant him this wish

"I know, honey", his voice was too low to be heard. "I want him too"

Yu hiccuped once more, his grip on Tetsuro's neck tightened momentarily before he quieted and then went back to sleep. Tetsuro put him back down after a while of listening to his quiet breathing and laid beside him. He slowly patted the tiny back, softly singing a rhyme he remembered his mom used to sing to him when he was little kid. He missed his mom, he missed her a lot. If she was here she would know what to do, mothers always knew what to do..

In no time at all the weariness overtook him and he drifted off to a fitful sleep.

***

Kei stood under the hot shower as it rained on him. His bones were weak with tiredness and more than anything he needed to sleep for a whole week. He closed his eyes, letting the steam soak into his very marrows as he thought sadly about that afternoon.He regretted what he'd said to Tetsuro, he shouldn't have let his vulnerability get the better of him because truth be told, he'd only said that to hide how frail he actually was. He hated that he had lashed out that way, it was petty of him and he could not see it as the necessary evil he'd told himself it was. 

How long had he stayed in the bathroom after leaving Tetsuro? He had sat in am empty stall and he had cried like je had never cried before. He had hurry Tetsuro with his words and what was worse, he had felt no relieve at the things he'd said; it has only left him feeling emptier and weaker and so damned alone. He didn't know why but he just could not bear the thought of Tetsuro suffering, he could not erase what he had seen in the man's eyes. He would be called to apologise if he had the nerve to. 

Maybe of he kept lying to himself that he could live without the alpha once again, that he did not care about him anymore and didn't give a damn about his suffering; maybe if he continued telling himself that he no longer put Tetsuro's feelings before his own and didn't need him like he needed air. Then maybe, just maybe he would start believing it and it will come true. 

'i miss you, Kei..', 'i love you so much..', ' please come back home...". Fuck, did he have to do that to him? Did he know how close Kei was to believing him? To saying that maybe things would be different if they could just try again? He missed him too, he wanted to go back and yes, he wanted to forgive Tetsuro because he still loved him, maybe love him too much. He still hadn't told Akiteru about it because he knew his brother would blame himself for this since he'd told Kei to give it another shot. 

He looked down at the water that disappeared down the drain he wished he could wash away his anguish in the same way. He wished he could shut off his feelings just like you could turn off the shower instantly. He wished it could all go down the drain and leave him weightless and free from their burden. 

He will not feel this way forever, he told himself. In time, everything will settle and he'll be ok. Just like the water, his pain will also disappear under the drain. One day, he'll forget his sadness and the one person who had caused it; soon his heart will beat normally like everybody else's and it'll forget that once upon a time it had been battered. 

One day he'll wake up without Tetsuro being the first thing that popped into his head and the dull throbbing behind his eyes that usually accompanied it will not be there. One day he'll be free from this nightmare, free from this hell he'd been caged in. One day...

On his way home he'd seen a shooting star and though he knew it was childish, he had made a wish. He had wished from the depth of his troubled heart that his world be made right again. He had wished that the constant heaviness in his chest be taken away and he could live freely again.

He had wished and he had prayed that one day, his wish will come true


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's February my lovelies! Another new month. 
> 
> I am so so sorry it took this long posting this chapter. Really sorry, I hope you forgive me
> 
> There's really no much tears and all that angsty stuff here, just more dialogue and narratives
> 
> All the same, I hope you enjoy reading it

Kei buttoned the flap of the skort and squatted to adjust the hem, his eyes gliding critically over the outfit in search of lint or any abnormalities. 

Saturday, the last day of their display and the last day of Fashion week. Thank goodness the beginning of the end was finally here. Yes they still had the dinner that marked the end of the show to attend and then do a few things by way of cleaning up and attending to the less than a handful of special customers who had the privilege of purchasing a few select pieces at a very outrageous price, but it was still a start.

God he was exhausted and in dire need of sleep. They all were. Everytime they gathered together at work, it looked like a small convergence of zombies waiting to be unleashed on an unsuspecting earth. They barely paused, barely had time to catch their breaths but none of them could complain about it because none of them had put in as much as Keishin had. That man had worked his ass out tirelessly and persistently it was a wonder he was still on his feet. He'd come to work earlier than everyone and would have already made a headway before they started arriving at 6; he would hardly take a break even for lunch, he would check every single department about two times just to see how they were coming along and would help out if he was needed. Some models had been asked to try on lots of outfits- a very gruelling process- and Keishin had sat through it from start to finish for the whole days it went on, helping Kei and some other stylists style them and take notes. He would attend to other groups they'd hired and when they left at 11, sometimes 12, Keishin would still be there.

It had been a rush from the start, their first display had been the third slot on the opening day, scheduled for 11. The show had started at 9:30 and each display allocated 30 minutes max. Just two hours to the time, one of the models had suddenly called in sick and there had been a brief moment of confusion since there was no way they could've gotten a replacement at such short notice and they couldn't leave that for empty. But Keishin had taken control of the situation and had asked Terushima to fill in.

Kei had had to rush back to the House with Terushima to adjust the outfit, it was a good thing Keishin had switched display dates so that Goth/grunge was now the last and contemporary/conservative the first, making the adjustment quick and easy. They had barely made it back to the venue, gotten his hair and make up done in time for the walk but they had gotten it done. The second had gone without a hitch and now they were getting ready for the finale which so far had no incident.

Kei's eyes fell on the boots the model was wearing, a masterpiece if he did say so himself; it rose to above the ankle, showing off big black spikes at the sides and laces that created a glowy illusion. The skort was mid length, giving the audience a full view of the footwear. It was amazing, they would love it.

His gaze flitted to his watch, 12 ish, Yu was probably napping or if he was awake, he'd be having lunch. He felt so guilty about not spending enough time with his son, especially these past weeks and like the little child he was, Yu never complained. He'd take whatever little time Kei could spare for him with utmost excitement; it must be so much fun living the life of a child, no worries, no drama. He would make it up to him, he would take him to SeaWorld, he'd heard that they had amazing rides there. Yu would love that very much, actually he loved water a lot so that settled that. 

He'd been thinking of going to Miyagi after the event just to recharge in the open country air for a weekend because God knows he needed a breath of fresh air. He wondered what his parents would think about this whole fiasco with his ex, hell he hadn't even told Akiteru about it because he knew his brother's reaction would be bad especially since he had encouraged Kei to give it another try. Seemed like nothing in that area of his life ever worked out well.

He scoffed quietly. His ex, huh? Who stays in a relationship only two months? Him apparently. Seemed like he wasn't the type to have a normal, happy, functioning relationship- not that he'd tried to with anyone else after Tetsuro had left him cold soaking and pregnant that night. But the mere fact that they never stayed together for up to a year at a stretch was a testimony to that. Barely two months and Tetsuro had cheated on him, maybe not cheated in the strict sense of the word but he had been close to, God only knew what would've happened if he hadn't walked in when he had.

Two months and Tetsuro had grown tried of him. Again. He'd been extremely busy around the time they had started dating again, could it be that Tetsuro felt neglected at some point and it had pushed him to seek attention elsewhere? Sometimes the alpha could be quite demanding of attention like a little kid so maybe he'd grown tired of Kei's constant absence and shortage of time. Maybe if he hadn't focused so much on work and tried to be a better omega for him, their relationship would've been saved instead of coming to such a pathetic end. Or they had probably started dating again too soon; he really hadn't wasted any time to jump into an old relationship with two long years in between.

How had he not seen that it had been going downhill all the while? How had he thought that any partner would be satisfied with a lover who was never there? Tetsuro had said he wanted him back he'd said he wanted Kei home with him, that he missed him. He wanted to go back too but to what end? To get hurt again? He had decided not to let sentiment make his decisions anymore, it had fucked with him too much. When he'd thought about it then, he had thought that Yu would finally have a real family and get the love every child should from both parents, but now...

He had to stop this, he chided, he had to let go. Going back was not an option

"are you alright, Kei?"  
"huh?", he looked up to meet Toru's smokied eyes, concern clouding them 

"I asked if you were ok". He squatted down so that he and Kei were eye to eye. "you've been down and quite distant for a while now and you've been staring at my boots for about five minutes now. I know its not their beauty that's got you mesmerised so what's the problem?"

"its nothing really, just need some rest is all"

Toru placed a palm on Kei's cheek, rubbing his thumb across its smooth surface; Kei had very soft cheeks for a grown man. He loved it

"what is it?", he murmured, "is it your boyfriend? Did he do something to you?"

Kei blinked at the accuracy of the question, one would think Toru could read minds. He looked away and opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a weak denial

"of course not. It's not him"

Toru placed two fingers under Kei's chin and lifted his head so that they were face to face again 

"so why hide your eyes? You're a terrible liar"

Kei bit his lips and looked away. He was already feeling the familiar stirring in his chest that usually accompanied thoughts of Tetsuro; he had to get a grip before he burst into tears here. He was still very much fragile, still in a state of recovery; his heart was too crushed to be so easily mended. You don't hit china on a rock and expect it not to break, you can't glue the pieces back together and hope the cracks disappear. He closed his eyes and struggled to breathe normally.

Toru's thumb moved below his lower lip and pulled out from between his teeth

"don't do that Kei, you make me want to kiss you"

Kei shook his head and tried to pull away but Toru held on and gently turned his head back to face him. He leaned into him and for a second Kei thought he was actually going to kiss him but he placed his forehead against Kei's and spoke in a soothing voice

"just let it go, ok? Some things are meant to be broken. If you hold on too tight to something that's already gone, you'll just destroy yourself. I don't want to see you so broken Kei, it kills me"

Kei looked down again and blinked the tears out of his eyes are the correctness of his words, as painful as it was to admit, he knew Toru was right. 

"I still want you, I'm sure you know that. But I won't push, you should figure out for yourself what you want. You know what's best for you. And if you find you'd like to know what dating a model feels like, my arms are still wide open"

"gather up! We'll be up in 15"

At Keishin's command, the models quickly lined up and Kiyoko began to walk down the line, calling their names to make sure they were standing in the proper order they'd been placed. Toru stood also, holding Kei's hands as he did and hefted him up

"remember to walk slow, the boots are heavy"

Toru chuckled  
"one time, I walked for Yaku's and Lev's on three inch heeled boots and had to do a little dance with another model in the middle of the stage. So this is nothing"

Kei gave a small smile and looked at his feet. He was sure he'd heard something like that, they too had some out of the world concepts 

"a good luck kiss do I don't trip and get my veins ripped open by these spikes?", he asked with a sly look and Kei couldn't help but laugh

"it'll ruin your make up"

"how about I give you one?"

"it'll ruin mine"

Toru wrapped a hand around his waist, pulled him close and whispered against his ear with a chuckle

"another time then"

He let go and Kei stepped forward to check the outfits one final time before they began to step out. He tried to focus wholly on his job but Toru's words kept coming at him. They were true, he was still watering flowers that had long ago withered, a stupid and useless effort. What was gone was gone, he should go get fresh ones. Had he been unconsciously holding on? What had he been hoping to achieve? That there'll be a storybook kind of twist of fate? Fuck. 

He looked in Toru's direction and met eyes dark from Goth make up boring into him. He knew that Toru still wanted him and was only waiting for his go ahead before he'd swoop down and take him. He knew it was time to move on but he didn't think he was strong enough now to do that. He doubted he was ready to give it a try elsewhere.

He looked away quickly and avoided Toru's gaze, when he got to him, his hands shook a little and he didn't look at the model but Toru didn't say a word. He stood perfectly still, letting Kei do his job. Toru had put on his professional mask, it was time Kei did the same; enough mingling work and his personal life.

 

***

Over all it had been a grand success: the Wakutani Cut had delivered just as Kenma had promised, they were fast, efficient and knew their jobs well and from Keishin's look of approval, the House would obviously use them more in the nearest future. Looks, at Johzenji did a perfect job with the make up as usual; the displays had been well received and all had gone according to plan. Keishin had told Kei that he would take the final bow alongside him since he was not only his newest designer but also because most of the outfits in the last section were his creations. And so after the models had walked for the last time and a make up artist had flitted a brush over their faces, they had stepped out to a roaring applause and a standing ovation. Keishin never walked down the stage so they stood at it's edge and drank in the moment.

It was perfection, every designers dream. So why did he feel so empty and unaccomplished? Why did it feel like this moment meant nothing at all? Like something vital was missing? He scanned the crowd, knowing it was futile but unable to stop himself from searching for that face, hoping that maybe he'll catch him sitting someplace with their son, giving him that lopsided grin of his. He had so badly wanted to share the moment with Tetsuro and the thought of him sitting at home, watching this live, waiting for Kei to come home with a proud smile and a heartwarming compliment would've made all the difference in the world to him. 

He saw Keishin nod briefly at his grandfather who had been honored with a front row seat together with Ittetsu and their kids. His grandfather's expression was neutral even though his pride at his grandson's achievement was all over his face while Ittetsu was all smiles. Kei felt a pang in his heart when he remembered that he had no one to bask in the moment with. 

He hadn't expected to see him but it didn't stop the painful disappointment he felt. He clutched hard at the phone in his hand, perhaps in the hopes that the messages Tetsuro had been sending since the show started would satisfy his craving. Tetsuro had texted him every day before and after their show and he clearly remembered the one of that morning: I know you're nervous but there's no need to be. You're great and the world will see it today. Good luck Kei, I'll be watching. 

He'd felt his heart fill up as he read it and he had tried to pretend, as with the others, that the message hadn't made him feel better. 'I'll be watching'. He'd gotten tons of texts from many others but it was Tetsuro's he had read and reread so much to the point of memorizing them. He had even started to look forward to them, they were his daily dose of comfort. Everytime he was stressed out, he read them, imagining Tetsuro whispering the words to him. As if that could ever be enough. 

Kei took a quick bow and disappeared backstage with Keishin as the applause continued. 'I'll be watching...'

 

***

 

"look, daddy!", Yu screamed excitedly, pointing at the flat screen and clapping. They had watched the show together with Tetsuro feeding Yu some noodles. 

He hadn't missed a single one of their display just like he had said and he had been impressed by what he had seen just like he'd known he would be. He had waited for House of Ukai's final walk and as their fabulous outfits were shown, impatiently waited for the moment Kei would come out and when he did, Tetsuro couldn't take his eyes off him. 

Kei and Keishin had stepped out looking so laid back and very effortlessly styled. Kei was in a fig turtleneck sweater, black jogging cargo pants, black boots and an amethyst coat while Keishin was in a black turtleneck sweater over slim dark grey slacks, black coat and black bucks. The other times, Keishin had stepped out with one of his kids and the fact that he had done the final bit with Kei said a lot about the man. It was a huge leap in Kei's career and Tetsuro couldn't be prouder. 

He placed a hand on his son's head and ruffled the hair

"yes, that's your daddy"

He watched the crowd go wild, the camera focusing on Keishin's family, they were there for him, he could only imagine how Kei felt having no one there to celebrate with him. Knowing no one was waiting for him at home. Kei looked round the crowd and he noted that the blonde didn't look as happy and satisfied as he ought to have been in the circumstance. To someone who didn't know Kei as much, Kei would appear normal but he could see what the make up had failed to hide, if he could just reach out and wipe the sadness from Kei's eyes. He watched Kei take a bow and walk backstage and wished he hadn't seen the disappointment in Kei's eyes.

He closed his eyes and held Yu closer. How had things gotten to this point again? He had told himself when they had gotten back together that he would not let go of Kei again. He had even thought that they would get married, have another kid and live happily ever after. How things had wrecked to this extent was still beyond his contemplation. Kei had tried to be there despite demands at work, he had tried to spend as much time as he could with them. Kei was a perfect omega, but he had let him go again. Who did that?

He glanced at the clock, it was 4:56. His father had invited him for dinner. He had to go get ready. 

 

***

 

He dropped Yu at Kotaro's and zoomed off towards his childhood home. Kotaro and Keiji had been more than willing to babysit and had asked to keep Yu for the night. His friends had been as supportive as always, continuously encouraging him not to give up on Kei. They gave him space when he needed it, tried to cheer him up during his downtimes and were always checking up on him to see how he was holding up. And though they knew he was to blame for the shit he was in right now, they never rubbed it in his face. He loved them, he could never say how much he appreciated the three of them; if they hadn't been a part of his life, he knew he would've fallen apart a long time ago. 

He pulled up in front of the house and let himself in. He went into the kitchen and after the pleasantries, he was informed by his dad's butler that his father was in his study. Tetsuro thanked the man and went upstairs. He knocked twice and entered the spacious room after he'd heard a muffled 'enter'. His father was seated on the sofa, busy on his phone and when he looked his way, Tetsuro greeted him with a small bow of the head. He remained standing until he'd been told to seat. His father was a strict man with a very strong physique, imposing person, principled personality and a very bullshit intolerant attitude. They respected him a whole lot so much so that of you weren't close to the family, you would think they were scared of him. 

He sat and waited until his father put the phone away, obviously having his time now

"so how are you doing son?"  
"I'm great"

His father's brow lifted

"are you now?"

Tetsuro squirmed in his seat, sensing he was about to get a scolding. As soon as his father had asked him to come over, he had known what it was about. His work had been suffering since the break up, but what the fuck? It wasn't like he was doing it on purpose or anything. He had at first tried to bury himself in work so it'll help him forget but it hadn't worked, he would only spend the time staring out his window lost in thought.

His father was pissed, that much he knew

"yes sir"

The man leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as his face hardened

"so what then, if I may, is the problem? Did something about your work piss you off?"

Tetsuro squirmed again

"no sir"

"what is it then? Why are you slacking off? You come to work when less than you used to and when you do, you get nothing done. You spend your time daydreaming and ignoring everything placed before you. You depend too much on Keiji and I'm thinking that maybe I should make him another's assistant, maybe then you'll become a much more responsible worker"

Tetsuro blinked a couple of times and looked the other way. His father stood and began to pace, a clear sign he was agitated

"I thought you were ready but apparently I was wrong. You have always been on the loose side Tetsuro, that's why your mother and I kept a closer eye on you than the others. I was reluctant to place anything under your care but in time I saw you work hard and I thought that was it. Are you trying to make me regret it?"

Tetsuro bit his lip and looked down, blinking even harder. His father was never one to mince words or beat around the bush; he got straight to the point and aimed right for the bullseye. Tetsuro shook his head again

"no sir"

"you have to start being a man, you're 25 and it's high time you knew what you wanted in your life"

He shut his eyes and bent his head lower as the words hit at him. What he wanted... He wanted, needed, only one thing but it was no longer there

"you so unstable, you show no seriousness or commitment in anything. Even your relationships never last--"

He felt a sharp pain sear through his chest at the last bit, the tears he'd been trying so hard to hold back finally betrayed him. A tear dropped on his joined hands, then another and another and on and on they went. He didn't notice his father had gone quiet it that he had taken a seat beside him.

He sniffed, blinking again and again to end it, he had never blinked so much in his entire life. But it didn't stop. He shut his eyes in a bid to end this embarrassing display, lifting a hand to press it's thumb and forefinger against his eyes. He didn't want to be caught crying in his dad's presence because he did not want to be considered weak. His father was something of an alpha's alpha; they were the ones who could bring an ordinary alpha like himself to their knees, they never begged, never bowed their heads to anyone, never showed frailty in any way.

His father was an epitome of strength and all round capabilities, that was why breaking down like this in his presence will not bode well for him. He could already taste his father's disgust and that was why when he felt a hand on his back, his shock momentarily paused the tears. He felt a squeeze on his shoulder, his dads way of telling him that it was ok; he nodded and allowed his emotions run with him. His hands covered his face and he bent lower, the hand on his back remaining in place making no movement at all but that was ok, the gesture in itself was enough for him.

His father was not the type to display softness therefore this huge effort on his part did not go unappreciated. He had seen his dad cry only once and that had been an accident. He was 18 and his mother had just been buried; after the funeral, some guests came along to the house to pay their respects as was traditional. Soon after welcoming them, his dad had excused himself into his study. 

The visitors had been set to leave and Tetsuro was sent to go call his father to day his goodbyes. He knocked but there had been no answer, thinking his dad had gotten engrossed in whatever he was doing and had failed to hear him, he had let himself in. At first he'd seen no one and thought perhaps he wasn't there after all so proceeded to shut the door but a small gasp stopped him and following the sound, he walked towards the desk and found his father sitting behind the sofa, holding his mom's scarf and weeping into it.

Tetsuro had been too shocked to think, it was not a sight he had been prepared to see and it caused a delayed reaction. Unsure what next to do, he had sat beside him. He was sure his father was aware of his presence but the man had not acknowledged him so he had remained in silence, listening to the quiet sobs of a broken man.

His dad had gone on that way for a couple more minutes before he had quieted. Tetsuro had then taken out his handkerchief and had extended it to his dad who in turn took it in silence. He hadn't watched him cry nor had he looked at him as he'd offered the piece of cloth or as he'd wiped his face for no other reason than the need to save his father his pride. It wasn't until his father had stood up that he did also and finally looked into the bloodshot eyes and seen how deep his fathers pain had run. Losing his mother had torn his father very badly and he'd understood that the man's seeming lack of tears and aloofness had been nothing but a façade. He had glimpsed a chink in the man's armour and the had sworn never to reveal it to anyone.

The two alphas had stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. His father had given a curt nod and Tetsuro had walked out. Barely the minutes passed and his father had descended the stairs, not a hair out of place, even his eyes had lost their redness. He'd composedly did his thank you's and goodbyes, no one would've guessed what had happened not five minutes ago upstairs, and it had remained that way. They had never once spoken about it to this day. 

So he understood what his dad was doing for him and he held on tight to the connection, trying not to break the fragile bond. He drew strength from the man and let it soothe him; in time he felt better and much lighter than when he'd first come in. Now that he thought of it, his father had always been a strict person but he never left his kids when they needed him. Tough love, it was called. The man handed him a face towel which he took gratefully and wiped his face. They sat quietly beside each other until his father broke the silence in his deep voice

"I take it that wasn't the result of my scolding"

Tetsuro sniffed and shook his head. His father waited a bit before speaking again

"tell me"

Tetsuro nodded at the command and spoke in a weak voice

"its... Its Kei"

"Kei... That name...", he went quiet, chewing on the name in an effort to remember. "is that the thin blonde omega you brought home some time back?"

"he is"

"ahh what about him?"

And so Tetsuro told his story for the umpteenth time, pausing every now and then to catch his breath or stop from crying again or to clarify a thing or two for his father or to wait for him to make whatever sound of disapproval he opted for at the back of his throat. When he was done, he felt so drained and so fucking tired

His father didn't speak for a few seconds, digesting everything he'd just being told. He nodded slowly

"I always wondered why you were no longer with your omega"

Tetsuro lifted his head

"my omega?"  
"your omega, son. Your omega"

The man rested his head on the back of the sofa  
"the moment I saw him, I knew. He was a lot different from the ones you'd brought home, there was a difference in you whenever you were with him: you couldn't keep your eyes or hands off him, always throwing glances his way, always paying attention to his needs. Everyone saw it and we all knew he was it.

"but soon you told me you two were done. I thought perhaps you didn't know or you were in denial or you were just being stupid. It's no wonder you got back together albeit briefly. Too brief for my liking really"

"it was my fault"  
"so fix it"  
"what do you want me to do dad?", his voice was high and cracking. What could he possibly do again? He had tried really hard even though he'd known all along that it would amount to nothing because Kei would not change his mind

"he doesn't want anything to do with me". He wiped his eyes with the towel and continued to look at the carpeted floor

"and you'll give up for that reason alone?"

Tetsuro scoffed and sniffed

"when touched, the heart cannot be untouched. An alpha has his pride, Tetsuro, but when it comes to what's truly important, that one thing that has the power to break you in two, you are allowed to chew that pride. You are allowed to go down on your knees and lower you head to the ground; you are allowed to bring yourself to the humblest that you can possibly go and grovel if that is the only course left open.

"it is your duty to fight hard and hold fast even if your breath threatens to desert you, even if all odds have fought against you and left you battered and bruised. Because if you fail to do so, you will continuously curse the void that has become your life"

"but I tired dad, I tired so hard", he sniffed again and swiped the towel across his wet face

"then try harder, this is where you test your resilience and go beyond your limit. Let me tell you this, son, it is better for an alpha never to meet his omega at all than to do so and then lose them. It is better to lose them to death than to have them walk away from you"

He patted his son's scattered hair briefly and withdrew his hand

"he'd a good lad, perfect for you. Your mother would have wasted no time in giving her approval. I enjoyed having him around, he was quite the challenge. Never could beat him at chess...", he chuckled fondly at the memory.

He'd first met Kei at a thanksgiving dinner and he remembered that the first thought that had popped into his head was that the boy needed some meat on his bones. The boy had been quite shy and reserved but there had been something intriguing about him that he'd wanted to unravel. He had seemed the interesting sort with a kind of level headedness and cool, calculating logic one never found so easily in this generation. 

He had made small talk with him-asked a lot of questions actually- and he had understood a bit about him: his upbringing, principles, personality and he'd been impressed at the boy's intelligence. After dinner, Kei had watched his sons play a violent video game and when he'd asked why he way wasn't joining in, the blonde had replied that he was more of a board game kind of person. Board game, you say? Yes sir. Do you play chess? Only a little. Ahh, care to join me for a game then? And do he'd met one of his greatest chess challenges that night. They had played six hours straight and even then they'd made no serious headway.

They had stopped for the night only because of the lateness of the hour out rather because Tetsuro had insisted they did. As soon as they had finished breakfast the next morning, they had returned to his study and after another five hours, Kei had softly whispered 'checkmate'. He'd been shocked because he hadn't lost a game in ages and that has excited him.

Every time they came over since then, they'd play a game and not once had either of them won. Two times he'd come close to checkmating but Kei would run round the board with his last player until the whole of the 40 moves had been exhausted making it a stalemate. He chuckled again, that boy was a sly one, very interesting indeed and his son had to go lose a gift like that. He'd had a good opportunity to start over and he'd so foolishly let something trivial get in the way of that. They even had a son...

"what's his name?"  
"who, dad?"  
"your son. What's his name?"  
"Yu"   
"a nice name"  
"yeah. Kei named him after his grandfather"

The man nodded. Kei was a family oriented person, he'd perceived that about him. He was the kind of person who would put family first and sacrifice anything for them. Another one of his admirable traits and his son.. Dammit he didn't want to continue with this line of thought otherwise he would lose his temper. He shot Tetsuro a hard look and gave him a sharp slap on the shoulder

"straighten up and stop feeling sorry for yourself"

Tetsuro sat up and glared at his father, his sharp retort dying on his lips at a firm knock

"dinner, sir"  
"thank you Lee, we'll be out in 5 minutes"

He turned back to Tetsuro

"enough of your self pity. Go wash your face for dinner"

Tetsuro got up with a sigh, seemed like their moment was over. He had made it to the door when his sulking was interrupted

"and Tetsuro?"

He turned to meet stern, dark eyes watching him

"yes dad?"  
"I'd like to meet my grandson soon if you don't mind"

Tetsuro gave a small smile, understanding that Yu had just been formally accepted into the Kuroo household without fuss out drama. He had been quite scared of his his father would react to knowing he had a child out of wedlock which was why he hadn't brought Yu here sooner.

"thank you dad"

His father grunted something inaudible and waved him out.

 

***

Tetsuro looked open mouthed at the television; dinner at his dads' had been over and he'd come home in time to catch the after party only because he'd been itching to see Kei again. But what he was looking at was so unbelievable it scared the life out of him. 

He hugged the pillow tight against his chest as he watched Toru put his hand so freely on Kei as though the omega belonged to him. Hot, angry tears poured from his eyes when he watched with a sinking heart as Toru gave Kei a long peck as he continued to flirt with him, it was all he could do not to smash a hole through his screen in an attempt to connect his fist with the model's face. Who did that prick think he was? Why did Kei let Toru peck him? Toru was touching Kei and saying something to him which made Kei smile.

What was he saying to him? Why did he have to stand do close? Maybe Kei was truly moving on, Kei was going to leave him behind. God no, it'll kill him. He tormented himself some more in front of the tv, getting glimpses of Kei when the camera focused on him, they were together all through. Toru did not leave Kei's side and Kei did not push him away. 

He angrily snatched a tissue from the box and blew his nose. Fuck he was screwed. That pretty boy was taking Kei away from him and out hurt so much. He didn't want to lose the only man he loved, the only man he had ever loved. Kei would marry someone else and Yu would have a stepfather. He sobbed into his hands, thinking about his dad's words that evening. What should he do? What could he do after so much rejection? 

Was Kei happier with the model? Was that why he was letting Toru touch him in public while he had never gotten such an allowance from Kei. His chest fucking hurt, it burned so so much. He didn't want to be replaced, not by Toru nor by anybody else. Why won't Kei please please forgive him? He could change, all he needed was a chance to prove it.

He slid down the couch and buried his head in the pillow. He was in hell and he wanted this torment to be over. He was so sick and tired of the pain, he just wanted it to end.

 

***

 

Kei let himself into his dark apartment, thanking God he could finally rest. He didn't understand why the after party had to be on the same day the event ended but still it was done. He could now rest his head and his legs and his body at almost 12 midnight. They would clear the office up starting tomorrow then they would get their break. 

He looked towards the window as he threw his jacket on the couch and froze. Through the reflection of streetlights, he could see the outline of someone sitting on his center table. What the hell? His heart skipped a beat then went a thousand miles per second, a million thoughts racing through his head. Who was that? How did he get in? Would he hurt him? Thank goodness Yu was with his dad, at least he'll be safe. What were you supposed to do in a situation such as this? 

The figure got bigger as the person rose and Kei took a step back. The figure stood facing him and Kei felt himself get dizzy with fear; at this point he should open the door and bolt out of the apartment and to safety, shouldn't he? But he felt too paralyzed to move. The man might still get him even if he was able to try escaping. He blinked, trying to calm his thundering heart and think of what to say to the intruder when he noticed something. Looking closely at the figure, he noticed a kind of familiarity in it but his mind was too disconnected from his head for him to think.

He slowly reached for the light switch and flipped it. He closed his eyes against the bright glare, opening them after a few seconds while blinking to adjust to the sudden brightness. When he focused, he looked back in the direction of the table into the eyes of a very haggard looking Tetsuro.

The man stood unmoving, staring at Kei as though he needed his permission to come closer. Kei saw the uncertainty and pleading need in his eyes and swallowed when he realised that Tetsuro had been crying seeing how damp his eyes were. 

The alpha took a hesitant step forward and breathed

"Kei..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, still apologise it took so long. I'm sorry


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, nothing to say except we're almost done. And.. *screaming* I finally got the helix piercing I wanted! Yaaay! *♡*  
> Sorry I know that's not relevant but I am really excited about it and I wanted to share
> 
> Anyways, enjoy your reading

Kei took a step backwards and would've taken another if he had not run into the solid wall behind him. He didn't need this now, he was just too exhausted to deal with Tetsuro right now. He had been relieved that it wasn't a stranger he'd been confronted with but the feeling quickly passed on seeing the familiar face that stood before him. For a brief moment he wondered how Tetsuro had gained access into his apartment until he remembered he hadn't collected his key from him.

His heart pounded mercilessly, he could already feel himself weaken and he didn't like that he was feeling that way. Why did Tetsuro still affect him like this? He should be stronger than this and the fact that the wasn't pissed him off and simply snapped the already stretched-too-far band that had been keeping him sane. His frustration morphed into anger that rose quickly and steadily; who did he think he was to barge in this way as though he still had the right to? Who did he think he was to continue tormenting his life so consistently and persistently? How dare he think he could just breeze in and out of his life like he'd been given the green light to? Why were his feelings continuously toyed with like they were a fucking game to be amused by? And why the fuck was his heart still aching so badly?

It was time to move on, wasn't it? It was high time he picked up the pieces of his life again and started everything anew. No more pining, no more crying and no more Tetsuro. He would end this madness now. He glared at the fucker, aiming all his anger and pain and frustration and everything else a broken heart could muster at him

"what do you want? Why did you come here? I'm tired and I want to rest, I don't want to talk now. Please get out"

Tetsuro nodded with a sigh and dragged a hand through his hair- something he'd been doing for the hour plus that he'd been waiting. Watching Kei and Toru together had made him see the truth of their situation in a different light and the fact that he was indeed a very replaceable part of Kei's life hit him hard back to reality. Kei might be his omega but that wouldn't stop him from moving on to another alpha when he'd had enough. He had in the past taken his feelings for Kei for granted and in the present he had not only fucked up but he had also taken for granted the fact that Kei could find someone else without fuss.

How painful it was, realising that you weren't a special constant in somebody's life and that they could disappear from your grasp forever. He realised that he had unconsciously entertained hopes that Kei would come around and they would be one big happy family again; that he'd been entertaining hopes of Kei thinking about the need for their son to have both parents by his side and consider giving it another go, that perhaps the love that Kei still had for him, no matter how little, will push the omega in his direction again. He realised that he had been wrong.

Now he was desperate to get his lover back and he would try with everything he had to make it right tonight because he had a feeling that if he failed to do so, he wouldn't have another chance and Kei would be beyond his reach forever. His chest burned and he took a deep breath to cool it

"Kei please let me talk to you, please stop running away from me, give me a chance to explain"

Kei shook his head disbelievingly and tried to step back again, he needed to get away from this man but he hit against solid wall again

"there's no 'explaining' to do. I saw, I understood, I learned. Period. Now get out"

"it's not what you think"

"I don't have to think, I saw it" 

Tetsuro stepped closer in a desperate attempt to not only reach Kei physically but also emotionally. He was quickly slipping away and he was scared that if he didn't hold on tighter, he would lose him 

"he wanted me but I swear I didn't feel the same way. I didn't kiss him back, I was trying to push him away when I saw you"

Kei closed his eyes, willing that horrible image of Tetsuro and Kunimi off his head. If there ever was anything that would be a nightmare and hunt him for the rest of his life, that would be it. No words could describe how he felt that day, nothing at all could fully capture the sensation that had cruelly ripped through him. Trying to push him away, huh? What had he been doing all the while that that man had gotten close enough to get his hands on him and kiss him in the first place?

Kei clenched his fist and opened his eyes

"you know what hurt the most?", his voice came out shaky, "the fact that you'd kept it away from me. You planned to meet an ex that you still had a thing for and you kept it away from me. It doesn't matter what you say or what you intended doing, it cannot take away what you've done.

"did I ever give you a reason not to trust me? Did I ever give you a reason to doubt how I felt about you? I would never have done anything like that to you, Tetsuro, it didn't matter how badly I wanted to set things right, I would've told you and I would've considered the fact that I had a boyfriend even if he wasn't there"

Tetsuro ran a hand through his hair again and looked down. Kei was right, he wouldn't have asked Tetsuro not to meet Kunimi nor would he have doubted Tetsuro's faithfulness. Yes, Kei would have understood, it was just that he hadn't wanted to bother him anymore than was necessary. He moved closer again and felt another ripping in his chest when Kei tried to move back; apparently he'd rather squeeze into the wall than let him near him. Tetsuro willed his legs not to stop moving until he'd stopped a few feet away from him

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. I would've told you but I didn't want to add any more worries on you since you had work to deal with. I never intended this to happen". I never intended to hurt you, he added silently 

He leaned his head close to Kei's but Kei moved so it landed on the wall beside his head. A hand rested on the wall beside Kei, trapping him between the alpha's head and hand

"I'm sorry, Kei. Please forgive me", he whispered tearfully. He missed Kei so much, he wanted to touch him, and hold him, and kiss him, and make love to him and get back all that they had lost both then and now.

Kei's heart sank deeply at the broken plea, he could feel the depth of Tetsuro's regret, he could almost taste the loneliness seeping out of him in great magnitude. God, he so badly wanted to hug the dark head tight to him and let their feelings wash away the pains of the moment. He wanted to hold on and pray that the tides of love reach out to them once more and wipe clean the errors of the past. But wishful thinking would never be able to smoothen the roughened plains of his scarred heart.

He shook himself forcefully to bring his senses back and pushed away from Tetsuro. This was not happening again, no more repeats of the sob story that had now become his love life. He was taking his life back and he was going to start making the right decisions beginning today. He had already taken a few steps to safety when a hand grabbed his shoulder, the currents that thundered through him literally shook his body and made him turn sharply in annoyance.

"don't ever touch me again, this must be the last time you try that. I told you to get out, why are you still here?!", his voice was bordering on hysterics, the fear that his resolve would crumble if he didn't push Tetsuro away made him angrier. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Tetsuro could feel the anger emanating from Kei and understood it was making him lash out, he would take Kei's anger if it gave him a chance in the end. He balled his fists to stop from reaching out to Kei

"I can't". He just couldn't bring himself to leave again. He would stay and fight for his omega, he would fight for his pup, he would fight to have his family back and this time he would fight relentlessly for love until he won and when he did, he would do everything possible to keep it together.

His arms moved of their own volition but before they made contact, Kei shoved him hard on the chest and almost screamed in his face

"get away from me! Leave me alone for fucks sake, I don't want you again!", dammit his eyes had started their crying again and this time around his tears were a mixture of so many things that he'd probably need a whole week to sort through them. He had wanted Tetsuro to leave before he broke down as he usually did; the man had seen enough of his despair

"haven't you done enough", he whispered sadly, "what else can you possibly get from me when you've taken it all already?"

He moved backwards again and wiped his eyes to stop the emotional tides. He was so fucking tired of the tears and the hurt and the regrets. He was so tired of waking up to that heaviness and painful emptiness that accompanied him all through his day. He just wanted rest, was that to much to ask?

The shove had barely caused Tetsuro to move, he was way stronger than Kei was so it had little effect on him. But he still felt a pain. Kei was never violent, he was never one to get physical, he knew that this was an accumulation of his hurt the many wrongs he'd done to Kei and Kei was simply trying to fight back in any way possible to protect what was left of his heart. He understood that the many cracks he'd caused on it couldn't be mended, he understood that he could never erase the section of their life he had so stupidly ruined. He understood that he couldn't let go again because then he would've truly destroyed his only shot at happiness and his only shot at giving that to his omega.

And so it was with this is mind that he moved closer to Kei again, stopping only a few feet away, it was with this in mind that he slowly bent, lowering himself until his knees met the cool tiles. "... you are allowed to bend your knees...", he would do that again and again for Kei if only to prove to him that his feelings were real. He didn't dare look at Kei's face for what he feared he would see there, instead, he bowed his head slightly and shut his eyes

"please Kei, please I'm begging you...", he wiped at the way streaks on his cheeks and breathed deeply. "I swear it was not what I wanted, I was honestly going to stop him-", he gasped as a sob choked it's way out. His hand clutched at his chest as the first wave hit and he doubled over in surrender; it was not the first time he had cried so much over Kei but it was certainly the first time it felt so raw and grating. He slowly bent his head lower, aiming for the lowest anyone could go; he was trying to show Kei that he was superior and that at the moment he was at his mercy. However before he was halfway there, he met against an obstacle

"wha.. What are you doing, Tetsu?", Kei's voice was shocked and just a bit fearful. What did this man think he was doing? Why would he bring himself so low just for him?

When Tetsuro had gone on his knees, he had been so surprised it had shut down his function; he had never thought him the type to do that for anyone. He had been thinking how best to tackle it when he saw that Tetsuro was trying to lower his head, something an alpha should never be caught doing, something that he would never let Tetsuro do no matter how he felt because he still loved and respected him too much to let him reduce his pride to that extent. And so without thinking say all, his body had moved to curtail any further progress, letting the dark head rest on his stomach.

His hand went to the back of Tetsuro's head and buried itself in the mop of black hair; he tightened it and pulled Tetsuro closer to him

"what do you think you're doing, Tetsu?", he asked again. He had called him by that name again but he didn't care, the man was still so dear to him.

Tetsuro's arms found Kei's waist and wrapped themselves around it, his head burrowed deeper into the flat surface of his stomach and he wept into the warmth nestled there. He didn't feel the wet drops that fell on his own head nor did he feel the subtle shaking of the body he'd latched on to. All he felt was a need to stop whatever disconnect that was trying to separate them.

His nails dug into Kei's side in a bid not to let go of him

"I'm so sorry Kei", he cried desperately, "I'm sorry. I love you so much Kei, please don't leave me. Please don't push me away again, I can't continue living this way, its just too painful  
"I want you and I want to give you and our son a home, I wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of that. I'm sorry I kept it away from you and I am so sorry I was stupid and insensitive to your feelings. Please forgive me. Please take me back".

The words caused a chill to run down Kei's body, not the type caused by fear, no. This was an instinctive knowledge that he could not continue fighting this, it was a searing caused by the pain of almost losing something so precious. He wanted Tetsuro. He wanted to build a home with him and give him a family, it was the least he could do for the one he loved so much.

Tetsuro wouldn't rise so he bent to reach his alpha so that they could be on the same level, he would never let himself stand above him. He knelt too but Tetsuro didn't release him, if anything, he seemed to have gotten even closer. His head rested at the crook of Kei's neck and the continued to cry shamelessly.

"I'm not asking for another chance, Kei, that would be too unfair. I'm asking for a fresh start. Please lets open a new page and begin a better story. I know it'll be hard for you to trust me again and I know that I'll probably mess up again because that's what I do but I want you to know that even when that happens I'll still love you and I want you to stay by my side and put me back on track. I need you to keep me in line else I'll fall.  
"just please take me back. I don't want you to leave me. I love you and I will try to be what's best for you"

Kei nodded even though Tetsuro couldn't see him, he had felt himself balk and then crumble. How was one able to resist when their heart panged so? He couldn't fight it, he didn't have the strength to and even if he did, he wouldn't dare. His hand behind Tetsuro's head pressed the man close to him and he nodded again.

Yes, he wanted to do it again with Tetsuro. He wanted to make mistakes with him and have fights with him and have the steamy make up sex that followed. He wanted to share lazy mornings cuddled in bed with Tetsuro with their son cozied up between them; he wanted to steal kisses from Tetsuro when he was asleep, he wanted to make meals for them and watch him do the dishes afterwards. He wanted to watch him play with Yu and help him with his homework and try to stop him from spoiling the boy too much. He wanted Tetsuro along with all the sad and joyful little things packaged alongside him. He wanted his alpha back. He kissed the top of the very scattered hair and hugged him tight around the neck.

Kei hadn't said a word but Tetsuro knew the message the gesture passed and it made him cry harder. What had he done to deserve Kei? Kei was too good for him and this moment was too good to be true.

"I love you..", he whispered softly into Kei's neck. He couldn't get tired saying that to him, he could go on and on and on and on simply telling Kei how much he meant to him.

"I love you too", Kei said just as softly

Tetsuro felt his heart leap at what Kei had just said. He wanted to hear it again if only to reassure himself that it hadn't been a trick his ears were playing on him. If this was a dream, he'll murder anyone who dared wake him up. His world was gradually righting itself, his breath had finally begun its return

"my dad, he wants to meet Yu"

Kei was a little surprised at this, last he knew, Tetsuro had still been trying to figure out a way to break the news to his father; seemed like a lot had happened this time they had separated. He nodded his assent, glad it had worked out, Yu could finally meet his other grandfather

"that's fine"

Tetsuro breathed against his neck

"and he said to tell you you still owe him a game" 

Kei chuckled softly, it was a bittersweet sound with a tinge of nostalgia. He really did want everything that came with Tetsuro. He hugged tighter

"tell him this time it'll be a checkmate"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep we are almost done, one more chapter and you can finally say bye bye to Amanzala.. 
> 
> Thank you for reading


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter is here, I can almost hear someone say 'finally!'. Lol sorry this took time, exams started.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this. 
> 
> Alright, drum roll please, and...

20 months later...

Tetsuro walked into the apartment, it still smelt new despite the fact that they had moved in about a year earlier. It was a spacious apartment, pricey but worth it. Kei had been opposed to their moving, he had argued that Tetsuro's was big enough for the three of them but he hadn't listened. No way in hell was he going to have them stay in that apartment, it was too small for two adults and a child and it was frigging old, he'd argued; but the truth was it was because it would serve as a painful reminder of his mistakes and the fact that he'd almost lost Kei again, that the life they were living now would have been nothing but a distant dream full of regrets. It was a dark period of his life that he wanted to rid of at all costs. Besides he had said a fresh start and he'd meant it to apply in every aspect possible.

 

As soon as he closed the door, two huge, furry dogs bounded towards him, tails wagging furiously as they clamoured to get on him for an ear rub. He chuckled and gave them each a scratch and as soon as he straightened, they trotted back to the parlour and laid back down. They had grown at a monstrous speed, barely two years and they had become so huge with an intimidating look. They still clung to Yu and though Kei had made a place for them to sleep in Yu's room, most times they'd wake up to find them curled on either side of the child. They were pampered but still well mannered and very alert so he could excuse some of their behaviour. He dropped the groceries on the kitchen counter and went in the direction of their bedroom. 

 

Kei was curled in the middle of the bed, fast asleep. He watched him breathe and found his heart pounding as it usually did when he realized that Kei was actually still with him; their break up was past almost two years but he still broke into a nervous sweat thinking about how close he had been to losing it all. Sometimes he felt this irrational fear that he would one day open his eyes to find that it had indeed been a dream. He shivered slightly and hurried to the bed, he climbed close to Kei and cuddled him from behind; physical contact was what always assured him that this was reality. A reality that was not going away.

 

His hand found the solid bulge he never got tired of touching and rubbed slowly. He was blessed. He had his family and they were doing very ok. After they'd made up, it had taken a lot of effort on both their parts to make it work again. They had built back trust slowly and almost painfully, they'd had to walk on eggshells around each others feelings, trying not to hurt while at the same time trying to heal the burns their relationship had been marred with; it had been a gruelling process but it had gotten solid steadily. They'd had quaking moments, moments that had shaken them mercilessly and had threatened to break the foundation they had managed to build. But in the times, he'd seen Kei try so hard to keep it together and hold on to the strength of their bond. Kei had also refused to let go when it seemed like things would fall apart again.

 

He'd asked Kei go move in with him with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, nervous that Kei might refuse; and when he'd asked Kei to marry him, he'd felt so light headed he felt he would pass out. He had been so insecure and really unsure-not about his feelings- but about Kei's answer, he'd thought that perhaps it was too early to ask. What if Kei didn't trust him enough yet? But Kotaro had almost punched him in the guts and had yelled at him to man up and do it. And so one night after dinner, he'd gotten down on one knee while they stood on his balcony and he'd tentatively asked Kei to marry him. His hands had shaken terribly and as Kei silently gawked at the elegant diamond ring he held out, he thought that he was definitely going to pass out from the inevitable rejection. But Kei had suddenly flung himself on him, making Tetsuro lose his balance and fall flat on his back; and while he straddled him, Kei had said 'yes' with tears in his eyes, he'd said that he loved him and that he would marry him. Tetsuro was certain that he would die of an overload of happiness before the wedding but the day had come and it had passed about 11 months earlier and he was still alive, holding his husband and eagerly expecting their second child who would be due in about 2 weeks or so. 

 

The pregnancy was taking its toll on Kei. He hardly had a appetite for anything other than fruits, he was always so exhausted and mostly asleep. Thank God for Keishin, Kei's boss had been extremely considerate, giving him very little to do, letting him work from home and sending someone over to get whatever work he'd gotten done. Either that or Kei asked Tetsuro to help drop them off at the House. 

 

A gentle pish from Kei's tummy made him spring up wide eyed, with a foolish smile stamped across his lips. This wasn't the first time he'd felt the baby kick but it was not something he could so easily get used to; it was no ordinary phenomena. The first time Kei had let he and Yu feel it, they had stared at the smooth stomach for eons, both palms flat against its surface and when it had happened again, they had gasped dramatically and pulled closer as though they would be able to see the tiny little fighter sitting in there. Yu had refused to leave Kei's side all through that evening. He had always regretted not been there when Kei was pregnant with Yu and he was trying his hardest to make up for it this time, he wanted a feel of even the little things and be the alpha he should have been at the time.

 

Kei turned, his hand found Tetsuro's chest and he snuggled closer, pressing his face his into the crook of his neck. Tetsuro placed a hand on Kei's back and rubbed. This was something he'd noticed Kei had begun doing some 4 months back, he became clingy while he slept; he would unconsciously seek Tetsuro out and when he found him, he would latch on closely. There were times he'd wake up to Kei's limbs wrapped around him like vines. He wasn't complaining, far from it, it was just surprising behaviour coming from Kei and it wasn't until he'd mentioned it in passing that his dad had told him that it was a habit some omegas tended to display at the late stages of their pregnancy because then they were becoming heavier and more susceptible to vulnerability. And so unconsciously, they reached out to their alphas to reassure themselves that they weren't alone. He couldn't say why, but that explanation had both excited him and had given him a feeling of importance.

 

A kiss on his neck broke his reverie and h he looked down at a yawning Kei. Kei was a little paler than usual this morning and even though he didn't want to be like some mother hen, he was unable to curtail his worry

"hey honey"  
"hmmmm", Kei said by way of answer and burrowed closer. He kissed the blonde head

"how do you feel, love? You're kinda pale"

Kei yawned again, he was really tired which was weird as he'd done absolutely nothing that morning except eat and then sleep

"I'm fine"

But before Tetsuro could protest, Yu came flying into the room, the dogs at his heel, and jumped on the bed. He have Tetsuro a welcome hug and leaned closer to Kei to give his tummy the customary kiss. For a kid who will be 4 in a few months, Yu was really tall and so lanky that it had made Tetsuro fear the boy will not develop the kind of build the Kuroo alphas usually had. At first it had been quite difficult discerning whether Yu would be an alpha or an omega mainly because of how soft and empathetic he could be but as he got older, Tetsuro's father had pointed out to them the dominant alpha traits Yu had already begun exhibiting and had proudly declared that Tetsuro shouldn't worry, Yu would definitely get there with time.

 

Kei let his son touch his stomach and chuckled when he put an ear on it to 'hear his sister say hi'. Tetsuro joined Yu and they both began to have a serious conversation with the tummy. Tetsuro believed they would have a girl and he'd gotten Yu to believe it too and although Kei had a feeling that they would have another boy, he chose to refrain from crushing their hopes; they were allowed to dream. Besides he know they'll be excited when the baby comes, regardless of the sex. After all he'd heard them both talk about baby names many many times and they usually mulled on both male and female names. 

 

He laughed softly and gently pushed the dark heads from him as he got up. If he let them, they would go on this way for another 15 minutes and that was not time his bladder had

"let me up before I pee myself. And you should get Yu ready before his grandpa comes", he instructed just as he entered the bathroom. Tetsuro's father was going to take Yu along to some thing or the other and the boy was giddy about it. It had been a relief to see how much they adored each other and how it hadn't taken Yu long to get accustomed to being around him.

 

The first time he'd met him, Yu had been confused when he'd been asked to call him grandpa, he'd been shy and quite reserved but when the man fed him chocolate sundae while reading him a book, Yu had undergone a drastic transformation and he'd been attached to him ever since. He would hang around the older man when they went to visit and when they played chess, Yu would sit in total silence on his thighs until he fell asleep.

 

Kei stared at his pale reflection in the mirror. A lot had happened with them within this time: Kotaro and Keiji had finally gotten married and had a gorgeous year old daughter with her dad's hair and the omega's looks. Kotaro couldn't just get enough of her, he called her his baby owl for reasons best known to him. When he'd asked Tetsuro to be her godfather, Kei had watched his husband nod his assent solemnly and with so much pride as though he'd just been charged with the affairs of the world. And just over a year ago, Kenma and Shoyo had also gotten married and they were expecting their first child in about 5 months; Shoyo was very excited about it while Kenma was absolutely nervous. 

 

Really 2 years was a long time. 

 

He stared at the ring on his finger and found it hard to believe that after all they'd been through since they met, it had ended up this way. He touched his stomach and rubbed a thumb over it. Happy endings, they really did exist except some people weren't fortunate enough to get theirs in this life. Maybe it was that their story was written under a different hand or perhaps it was that they were just plain lucky to have dodged the bullet sent their way, but all the same, he could never be thankful enough for how things had turned out for they and their friends. He was thankful for love and he was eternally grateful for family. It had been a rough and very bumpy ride but they had still gotten to their destination.

 

He couldn't have asked for a better ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Amanzala and her cast take a final bow, its been a pleasure having you all with us through our journey. Many kisses
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, taking the time to comment and then leaving kudos. It really encouraged me especially as this is my first story; honestly, I was kinda unsure how it will be received and the responses wowed me.
> 
> So thank you again for being there and thank you for being amazing people. Until next time, love you all loads.
> 
> Oh, and there's a one shot sequel to this titled Kites (a short sequel), you can check it out whenever you can 
> 
> xoxo


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